A  Captain  of  Men 


A    CAPTAIN    OF    MEN 


UNIT.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGFLF* 


NARMED  and  alone,  he  placed 
himself  in  their  very  midst" 

(See  page  266) 


A  Captain 
of 


BOSTON  *  *  *  *  & 
L.  C.  PAGE  (SL  COMPANY 
jk  j»  *  *  *  MDCCCCV 


SJl  >>>.  >^  >.>>>.  .^  >.  >^  >.  >^  ).»>>.,>>.>>>.-:<«  K  <«•<<«•<<<•<<<•<  ^<  •<<<«<<»»<<<  J« 


Copyright,  1905 
BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED) 
All  rights  reserved 


Published  March,  1905 


COLONIAL   PRESS 

EUcirotyptd  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &•  Cf. 
Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TO 


'21.11490 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  MIRIAM  AND  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  ASSYRIAN 

HORSE i 

II.    THE  HAND  OF  NEBO 18 

III.  IN  THE  HUT  OF  HADAD  AND  CHNA    .        .  31 

IV.  DAVID,  THE  SON  OF  JESSE   ....  42 
V.  THE    ASSYRIAN    BESIEGES  THE    HOUSE  OF 

ESMUN 54 

VI.  THE  STORY  OF  MIRIAM         ....  69 

VII.  A  VISIT  FROM  "  MY  LADY  TANITH"  .        .  85 

VIII.  THE  DISOBEDIENT  PANTHER         .        .        .  105 

IX.  IN  THE  STUDIO  OF  HIRAM  ABIF  .        .        .125 

X.  "  I    WISH    THAT    THOU    WERT    ONLY     THE 

GARDENER" 144 

XI.  THE  PARABLE  WHICH  CHNA  HEARD  .        .158 

XII.  PREPARATIONS        .        .        .        .        .        .170 

XIII.  THE  FEAST  OF  BRANDS        ....  187 

XIV.  THE  MEETING  AMONG  THE  PALMS       .        .  206 
XV.  THE  REWARD  OF  HECTOR    ....  224 

XVI.  HADAD  DRINKS  TO  TANITH'S  HEALTH        .  243 

XVII.  IN  THE  UNKNOWN  SEA         ....  261 

XVIII.     THE  GOLDEN  DISK 280 

XIX.  THE  EYE  OF  ASHTORETH      ...»  302 

XX.    TANITH'S  CHOICE 324 

XXI.  CONCLUSION    .                        ,        ,  344 


A    CAPTAIN   OF    MEN 


CHAPTER  I. 

MIRIAM  AND  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  ASSYRIAN  HORSE 

IT  was  near  the  end  of  the  spring  of  the  year 
1058,  before  our  Christian  era,  when  the  army  of 
Assyria  left  its  winter  quarters  in  Damascus  and 
became  the  uninvited  guest  of  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre. 
In  the  hope  of  rivalling  the  conquests  of  the  great 
King  Tiglath-Pileser,  Asshur-ab-aram,  the  usurper, 
had  marched  from  his  royal  city  of  Asshur  and 
made  an  unsuccessful  campaign  against  the  moun- 
tain tribes  in  the  north.  But  now  that  he  had 
rested  his  army  at  Damascus,  he  expected  to  retrieve 
his  fortunes  by  overwhelming  the  Hittites. 

More  than  seventy  years  before,  Tiglath-Pileser 
had  placed  among  the  royal  archives  the  records 
of  his  visit  to  Arvad,  by  the  "  Sea  of  the  Rising 
Sun."  Asshur-ab-aram  had  read  how  his  prede- 


A  Captain  of  Men 


cessor  had  exacted  tribute  of  Phoenicia,  of  the  great 
fish  he  had  caught  "  on  an  iron  hook,"  and  of  the 
ships  and  wealth  of  that  seafaring  people.  He,  too, 
could  add  a  page  to  history;  he  decided  to  fish  in 
the  waters  of  Tyre,  and  to  see  with  his  own  eyes 
the  splendour  of  the  Island  City. 

This  unexpected  irruption  of  the  conquering  sol- 
diers of  the  world  was  not  at  all  to  Hiram's  liking. 
But  it  had  ever  been  the  policy  of  mercantile  Phoe- 
nicia to  avoid  a  conflict  of  force  and  arms.  There 
was  nothing  so  destructive  to  trade  as  war,  and 
Hiram,  the  king,  was  the  prince  of  merchants.  So 
he  made  the  best  of  an  exceedingly  bad  matter; 
he  disguised  his  loathing  of  the  boorish  and  boast- 
ful Assyrian.  He  was  lavish  in  hospitality,  and 
he  prayed  earnestly  to  his  gods  for  deliverance  from 
the  constantly  repeated  tales  of  Tiglath-Pileser  and 
his  marvellous  fish. 

On  the  night  of  the  last  of  Hiram's  banquets  to 
Asshur-ab-aram,  Merodach,  "  the  Babylonian,"  was 
what  we  now  call  "  officer  of  the  day."  His  royal 
chief  was  over  on  the  island  eating  and  drinking, 
listening  to  music,  and  watching  jugglers,  mounte- 
banks, and  dancing  girls.  But  the  army  was  en- 
camped just  outside  the  Walls  of  the  city  on  the 
mainland,  revelling  in  such  plenty  of  food  and  drink 
as  to  make  their  stay  in  Tyre  a  scene  of  licensed 


Miriam  and  the  Captain 


debauchery.  It  can  truly  be  said  that  no  army  had 
ever  been  so  well  treated  before,  and  the  soldierly 
heart  of  Merodach,  chief  of  horse,  was  bitter  be- 
cause of  the  drunkenness  and  laxity  of  the  camp. 
Of  discipline  there  was  none;  save  only  among 
his  favourite  arm,  the  cavalry,  about  which  he 
dreamed,  and  for  whose  advancement  in  efficiency 
he  never  tired  of  working.  A  proud  smile  passed 
over  his  lips  as  he  saw  a  group  become  silent  when 
he  was  seen  by  the  light  of  the  camp-fire.  They 
were  his  very  own,  and  they  alone  of  all  the  army 
were  trained  to  drink  their  wine,  and  yet  acknowl- 
edge fittingly  an  officer's  presence.  It  pleased  him 
greatly  to  see  them  rise  and  keep  silence  until  he 
returned  their  salute. 

"  Your  health,  my  lord,"  spoke  one,  soberly,  and 
the  others  bared  their  heads  while  their  captain 
tasted  the  wine. 

"  I  am  pleased  with  you,  my  children,"  he  re- 
sponded, smiling  with  a  full  heart  at  their  martial 
appearance.  "  I  drink  to  our  next  battle ;  may 
Asshur  make  it  a  victory."  But  Merodach  smiled 
no  more  during  his  "  rounds  "  that  night. 

Many  of  the  officers  were  carousing  with  their 
king,  and  those  that  were  kept  with  their  commands 
were  trying  to  recompense  themselves  by  worse 
debauchery  in  the  camp.  With  the  officers  absent, 


A  Captain  of  Men 


or  in  such  condition,  what  could  be  expected  of 
the  common  soldiers  but  indescribable  confusion? 
Everywhere  could  be  heard  the  curses  and  obscen- 
ity of  the  men,  the  shrill,  hateful  laughter  of  even 
drunker  women.  Now  his  foot  would  trip  over 
the  prostrate  form  of  one  stupefied  by  drink,  and 
now  his  ears  would  be  assailed  by  ribald  laughter 
and  invitations  to  join  the  carouse.  Skins  of  wine, 
jars  of  wine,  flagons,  —  rivers  of  wine  were  there; 
wine  of  Cyprus,  of  Tyre,  of  Damascus,  of  Askalon, 
flooded  the  camp.  Here  he  came  upon  a  merry 
group,  dancing  and  singing  about  the  drooping 
figure  of  an  impaled  prisoner.  There  beyond  them 
were  others  trying  to  join  their  female  visitors  in 
a  chant  to  Ashtoreth.  Guards  were  generally  miss- 
ing from  their  posts,  or,  when  present,  totally  ob- 
livious of  their  duties.  Those  about  the  royal  tents 
huddled  together  in  tipsy  consternation  when  they 
heard  the  stern  voice  of  the  best  soldier  in  the 
army. 

From  these  new  tents  of  royal  purple,  the  gift  of 
Hiram,  and  the  tents  where  the  scribes  slept,  for- 
getful of  the  count  they  must  prepare  before  day- 
break, and  the  tents  of  the  king's  harem,  Merodach 
went  to  where  were  parked  the  chariots,  the  pride 
and  strength  of  the  armjy.  Here  his  patience  alto- 
gether failed  him,  and  he  cursed  the  one  guard  he 


Miriam  and  the  Captain 


found  in  drunken  sleep  so  bitterly  as  almost  to  make 
him  sober. 

Now,  as  luck  would  have  it,  Nebo,  captain  of 
the  auxiliary  archers,  was  lying  near  by,  snuggled 
close  to  a  grunting  camel  for  warmth.  The  sound 
of  voices  disturbed  him,  and  he  staggered  to  his 
feet,  and  stood  swaying  before  them  in  drunken 
solemnity.  He  was  not  too  far  gone  to  be  unable  to 
recognize  an  officer  by  his  dress  and  appearance. 
He  had  a  vague  consciousness  of  wrong-doing  and 
shame;  he  as  an  officer  should,  at  least,  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  intoxication  among  his  equals.  It  was 
quite  beneath  his  dignity  to  be  discovered  sleeping 
by  the  side  of  a  camel.  And  he  also  knew  that  his 
place  was  not  there  among  the  chariots;  his  king 
had  impaled  men  for  much  more  trivial  offences. 
Nebo  knew  that  he  was  quite  guilty,  but  he  was  apt 
to  be  ugly  in  his  cups,  and  he  cursed  Merodach  for 
a  prying  meddler. 

"  You  are  a  hog,  Nebo ;  an  officer  should  set  an 
example  of  decency  to  his  men.  Faugh !  you  stink 
of  stale  wine  and  camel's  dung.  You,  an  officer, 
and  asleep  here !  " 

Nebo  glared  savagely  about  him.  He  wished  to 
make  an  insulting  retort,  but  Merodach  was  gone. 
Kicking  viciously  at  the  drowsy  camel,  he  drank 
again,  then  staggered  toward  his  own  quarters, 


A   Captain  of  Men 


breathing  vengeance  against  "  the  Babylonian  dog." 
His  foot  struck  a  sleeping  soldier  and  he  fell.  There 
he  lay,  snoring,  not  far  from  the  tent  he  had  sought. 
There  was  something  of  the  artist  in  Merodach, 
the  dashing  soldier.  Although'  he  had  never  been 
trained  to  use  an  artist's  tools,  his  love  of  beauty 
in  form  and  colour  was  shown  by  the  changes  he 
had  made  in  the  furniture  of  his  horses,  the  accou- 
trements of  his  men.  He  had  given  personal  care 
to  the  design  and  finish  of  the  bosses  on  their  har- 
ness and  cross-belts.  The  beauty  of  the  bronze  tips 
to  their  scabbards  was  owing  to  him.  And  he  had 
seen  that  beauty,  as  well  as  utility,  should  be  con- 
sidered in  the  ducks'  heads  on  the  ends  of  their 
bows.  To  him,  more  than  to  any  other  in  the  em- 
pire, belonged  the  credit  of  the  improvement  in 
appearance  and  efficiency  of  the  Assyrian  cavalry. 
He  began  a  system  which  was  to  culminate  under 
Sargon  and  Sennacherib,  and  go  down  with  Asshur- 
banipal,  the  Sardanapalus  of  the  Grecian  writers. 
Indeed  it  was  this  genius  in  the  affairs  connected 
with  his  favourite  branch  of  the  army  which  had 
more  than  once  saved  Merodach  from  the  wrath 
and  unconcealed  jealousy  of  his  king.  For,  al- 
though he  manifested  the  coarseness  of  his  origin, 
Asshur-ab-aram  was  loath  to  lose  the  aid  of  such 
a  good  soldier.  Neither  could  he  make  himself 


Miriam  and  the   Captain 


forget  that  his  chief  of  horse  had  saved  him  and 
his  army  from  annihilation  under  the  crags  of  the 
northern  mountains. 

It  was  this  instinctive  love  for  the  beautiful,  this 
natural  quickness  to  note  lines  and  tints  and  shades, 
which  stopped  him  so  often  during  his  course 
through  the  quieter  portions  of  the  camp.  From 
where  he  stood  he  could  see  the  braziers  flaming 
along  the  causeway  that  Hiram  was  completing  to 
connect  his  newer  Tyre  on  the  islands  with  the  older 
part  on  the  coast.  The  work  was  not  allowed  to 
pause  day  or  night,  and  the  burning  pitch  from 
Gadir  ran  in  streams  of  fire  into  the  steaming  sea. 
And  the  shouts  of  labourers  and  the  harsh  cries  of 
their  overseers  were  far  enough  away  to  blend 
pleasantly  with  the  more  unintelligible  sounds  of 
a  great  city  awake  in  the  night.  South  of  the 
double  island  were  other  lights  marking  the  site  of 
the  new  "  Egyptian  harbour."  To  the  north  rose 
the  new  temple,  now  almost  built,  and  farther  still 
blazed  the  fires  which  served  as  beacon-lights  to 
the  mariners  seeking  port.  Between  these  extrem- 
ities were  shadows  pierced  by  points  of  light ;  in 
the  daytime  these  would  be  palaces  and  arsenals 
in  this  commercial  centre  of  the  world.  Also  above 
the  city  hung  tremulously  a  glow  caught  from  the 
countless  lights  beneath;  the  Shekinah  of  congre- 


8  A  Captain  of  Men 

gated  humanity.  He  had  seen  the  temple  in  the 
morning  and  had  marvelled  at  the  splendour  of 
its  asherim,  one  of  shining  gold,  the  other  of  emer- 
ald green.  His  eyes  had  lingered  lovingly  over 
decorations  of  checker-work  and  pomegranate, 
carved  by  the  hand  of  the  great  artist,  Hiram  Abif. 
But  now  that  night  hid  these  glories  from  his  eyes, 
his  inner  vision  increased  the  charms  of  Tyre  be- 
yond computation. 

So  Merodach  stood  before  the  wealth  and  glory 
of  the  world,  and  dreamed  of  conquest  and  of 
pow)er.  Some  day  all  this  should  be  his,  and  As- 
syria and  he  would  hold  in  iron  clasp  the  wealth  and 
power  of  Tyre  and  of  the  Sidonians  to  the  very 
ends  of  the  sleeping  sea. 

The  sound  of  voices  shattered  the  spell  of  reverie, 
and  he  awoke  and  shook  himself  as  if  from  sleep. 
The  speakers  were  too  distant  for  him  to  distinguish 
what  they  said,  but  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  could 
detect  discord,  that  he  heard  two  women,  one  com- 
manding, the  other  entreating. 

Not  far  from  where  he  stood  was  one  of  the 
finest  houses  which  adorned  the  slopes  of  the  hills 
of  the  older  city.  Its  well-kept  grounds,  cool  ar- 
bours, and  delightful  fish-ponds  had  often  attracted 
his  admiration ;  and  it  was  there  he  heard  the  voices. 

Yet,  although  he  could  not  understand  one  word 


Miriam  and  the  Captain 


they  said,  the  tones  of  the  speakers  moved  him  curi- 
ously. There  was  no  approach  to  harshness  in  the 
voice  that  reached  him  the  more  clearly;  it  was, 
if  possible,  the  sweeter  of  the  two;  yet  it  roused 
an  unaccountable  repugnance  in  his  heart  toward 
its  owner.  Its  effect  upon  him  was  even  stronger, 
and  it  could  almost  be  said  that  it  filled  him  with 
sudden  loathing.  For  some  inexplicable  reason  he 
seemed  to  resent  the  fact  that  one  of  these  unknown 
women  should  have  the  power  to  make  the  other 
suffer,  insomuch  that  he  was  tempted  to  show  her 
of  the  softer  voice  his  sympathy  and  his  pity.  Af- 
terward this  was  all  very  strange  and  unaccountable 
to  the  Assyrian  captain. 

Soon  all  was  again  quiet,  and  he  returned  through 
the  camp  to  his  tent  for  a  brief  sleep  before  dawn. 
Later  he  was  to  know  that  he  had  listened  to  the 
siren  voice  of  "  my  lady  Tanith  "  of  Tyre,  as  she 
commanded  the  attendance  of  Miriam,  her  Hebrew 
slave,  upon  the  soldiers  with  wine  and  supplies  at 
sunrise.  For  it  should  be  known  that  Tanith  had 
been  quite  ill  all  day.  Consequently  she  had  been 
compelled  to  lose  her  anticipated  pleasures  at  the 
king's  banquet.  Now  she  was  indemnifying  herself 
by  punishing  her  maid  for  some  fancied  omission 
of  duty.  The  discipline  of  my  lady  Tanith  was 
never  lacking  in  shrewdness,  and  she  had  com- 


A   Captain  of  Men 


rrtanded  Miriam  to  go  into  the  camp  without  the 
protection  of  her  veil. 

So  passed  the  night  till  morning  came  to  reveal 
more  clearly  the  squalid  features  of  a  military  de- 
bauch. The  heavy-lidded  scribes,  now)  mindful  of 
slighted  duty,  were  beginning  to  prepare  their  rec- 
ords ere  their  king's  return.  The  guards  were 
lagging  wearily,  yet  with  an  appearance  of  decorum, 
before  the  royal  tents  and  harem.  A  few  seasoned 
veterans  had  driven  the  intruding  camel  from  his 
resting-place,  and  were  making  a  pretence  of  clear- 
ing away  the  litter  about  the  five-spoked  chariot- 
wheels.  A  half-hearted  examination  was  being 
made  of  the  impaled  captives  to  see  if  they  should 
be  taken  down.  Here  two  befuddled  bowmen  were 
struggling  to  string  a  bow,  their  brains  clouded  by 
the  impression  that  they  must  forage  for  their 
breakfast.  And  all  over  the  camp  were  rueful 
groups,  grumbling  because  they  had  exhausted  their 
supplies  —  especially  of  liquids.  Happier  were 
they  still  asleep,  in  ignorance  of  their  lack.  But 
notwithstanding  this  general  tone  of  weariness, 
there  was  one  place,  and  that  not  far  from  the  tent 
of  Merodach,  where  laughter  and  jollity  held  full 
sway.  It  appeared  that  some  rude  wag  had  dis- 
covered Nebo,  captain  of  the  archers,  asleep,  stained 


Miriam  and  the  Captain  1 1 

from  head  to  foot  with  wine,  and  still  embracing 
the  skin  which  had  held  the  entrancing  liquor. 

First  the  joker  had  shaken  Nebo  gently,  then 
roughly,  without  waking  him.  Convinced  of  the 
safety  of  his  prankishness,  he  had  crowned  the  sod- 
den drunkard  with  straw.  Raising  him  to  a  sitting 
posture  against  a  boulder,  he  placed  a  stick  in 
Nebo's  nerveless  hand,  —  as  a  sceptre,  —  and  called 
his  comrades  to  salute  "  Nebo  the  divine,  clad  in 
his  royal  purple." 

The  jest  was  a  sorry  one,  but,  like  heedless  chil- 
dren, the  soldiers  fell  in  with  its  humour,  and  made 
obeisance  as  to  a  king.  Not  content  with  this,  they 
caught  the  passers-by  and  compelled  them  to  join 
in  the  sport. 

Merodach  heard  the  uproar  and  looked  from  his 
tent  to  learn  its  cause.  It  may  be  that  his  careless 
complacency  was  because  it  was  Nebo  who  was  be- 
ing mocked,  as  he  had  no  patience  with  the  archer's 
coarseness.  At  all  events  he  went  back  to  his  couch, 
saying  nothing. 

By  this  time  slaves  from  the  richer  merchants 
began  to  appear  in  that  portion  of  the  camp  nearest 
the  city,  bearing  supplies,  or  driving  beasts  of  bur- 
den heavily  laden  for  the  soldiers'  use.  Unfortu- 
nately the  cavalry  were  on  the  outskirts,  and  the 
jokers  discovered  that  they  were  likely  to  see  others 


12  A  Captain  of  Men 

eating  and  drinking  while  they  went  hungry.  Con- 
voy after  convoy  was  intercepted  and  unloaded  be- 
fore getting  half-way  to  them.  Their  joy  was 
correspondingly  enhanced  by  the  sudden  appear- 
ance of  ten  asses,  bearing  wine  and  food,  driven  by 
two  men  under  the  charge  of  a  maiden. 

The  beasts  were  quickly  unloaded,  and  the  riot- 
ous soldiers  led  the  shrinking  girl  to  receive  the 
thanks  of  their  "  king."  Too  much  interested  in 
their  play  to  notice  that  the  captain  was  half-awake, 
they  placed  her  before  him,  and  bade  her  do  hom- 
age or  suffer  the  direful  consequences  of  her  rebel- 
lion. 

Startled  and  bewildered  by  this  unexpected  return 
for  her  courtesy,  Miriam  strove  vainly  to  escape 
from  her  boisterous  captors. 

"  Hail  him  king !  "  cried  one. 

"  Impale  her !  "  shouted  another.  "  Bow,  you 
stubborn  one,  —  or  die !  " 

Then  all  fell  silent  and  began  to  shuffle  backward 
from  her,  for  Nebo  was  on  his  feet,  staring  sullenly 
at  them.  They  were  caught  red-handed,  and  they 
feared  his  rage. 

But  Nebo's  little  wine-inflamed  eyes  saw  nothing 
but  the  beauty  of  the  unveiled  face  before  him. 
"  Come,"  he  said,  and,  grasping  her  hands,  he 
roughly  pulled  her  toward  the  nearest  tent. 


Miriam  and  the  Captain  13 

"  I  am  here  as  your  friend ;  we  have  brought 
food  for  your  men,"  replied  the  maiden,  bravely. 
"  Surely  you  will  not  harm  a  friend." 

"  You  are  mine,  —  come !  "  growled  Nebo,  and 
his  prisoner  knew  that  he  had  no  thought  of  mercy. 

"  Will  no  one  help  me  ?  "  she  cried,  looking  from 
one  to  another  about  her,  while  struggling  to  es- 
cape. But  they  only  averted  their  eyes,  or  gazed 
covetously  at  her  beauty.  Then  she  tried  to  snatch 
a  weapon  from  one  of  them,  but  Nebo  foiled  her, 
and  bruised  her  with  the  tightness  of  his  clasp. 
For  an  instant  she  lost  herself,  panting  and  crying 
piteously.  But  quickly  she  regained  her  self-con- 
trol and  said,  proudly: 

"  If  you  will  not  let  me  go,  my  God  will  avenge 
me." 

Her  obstinate  courage  increased  Nebo's  rage, 
so  that  he  shook  her  in  drunken  ferocify.  Fairly 
dragging  her  to  the  tent,  he  threw  open  its  flap 
and  found  himself  face  to  face  with  Merodach,  the 
Babylonian. 

"Greetings,  Nebo;  but  why  are  you  so  early  at 
my  tent?  and  why  have  you  brought  this  maiden 
with  you  ?  "  asked  Merodach,  so  softly  and  with 
so  pleasant  a  smile  that  those  knowing  him  drew 
nearer,  like  vultures  scenting  blood. 

The   archer   cursed   savagely   and   attempted   to 


14  A  Captain  of  Men 

thrust  Merodach  to  one  side  in  order  to  pass  into 
the  tent.  But,  receiving  a  buffet  which  sent  him 
reeling  backward,  he  drew  his  sword  and  rushed 
blindly  forward,  still  dragging  his  captive.  There 
was  a  flash  of  steel,  a  groan,  and  Nebo  fell  fainting 
to  the  earth,  his  severed  hand  still  clutching  its 
sword. 

"  Take  him  to  yonder  forge  and  stop  the  blood 
by  fire,"  commanded  Merodach  to  the  now  sobered 
and  obedient  soldiers. 

"  Our  men  are  rude  and  boisterous,"  he  apolo- 
gized to  the  grateful  girl.  "  They  did  not  wish 
really  to  harm  you.  We  thank  you  for  your  gifts." 
Then  very  gently :  "  Should  you  come  here  again, 
it  were  well  to  remember  that  a  maiden  should  not 
visit  an  army  without  wearing  her  veil." 

Unnerved  by  her  startling  experience,  as  well 
as  confused  by  his  advice,  she  could  only  thank  him 
in  broken  phrases  for  his  kindness.  She  could  not 
tell  him  why  she  was  without  her  veil,  she  could 
only  stammer;—  what  she  hardly  knew.  Her  beasts 
were  already  unloaded  and  she  wished  to  go  away, 
but  she  felt  that  she  was  miserably  failing  to  ex- 
press her  gratitude. 

There  was  also  an  unaccountable  tumult  in  the 
mind  of  the  Assyrian  captain.  Merodach  had  passed 
most  of  his  life  among  men,  but  he  was  not  alto- 


Miriam  and  the   Captain  15 

gether  without  knowledge  of  women.  His  duties 
in  the  army  had  included  a  winter  in  the  city  of 
Asshur  as  captain  of  the  king's  guard,  and  his  manly 
beauty  had  not  lacked  appreciation.  But  the  bold 
admiration  of  court  beauties  had  seemed  quite  dif- 
ferent from  the  shy  gratitude  of  this  stranger.  He 
felt  annoyed  at  his  difficulty  to  do  more  than  direct 
his  men  to  aid  her  servants.  Truly  she  must  think 
him  boorish  in  his  awkward  silence.  So,  as  neither 
could  help  the  other  in  words,  they  walked  silently 
together  toward  the  end  of  the  camp. 

At  last  they  paused  before  parting,  and,  as  is  so 
often  true,  the  girl  was  first  able  to  speak. 

"  I  would  not  have  you  think  unkindly  of  me," 
she  said,  softly.  "  You  have  saved  me  from  a  great 
danger,  and  I  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart.  I  did  not  wish  to  come,  but  —  may  the  God 
of  my  fathers  watch  over  you  and  keep  you.  And 
—  and  it  would  be  kind  of  you  to  tell  me  the  name 
of  my  preserver.  You  were  the  only  one  willing 
to  save  me." 

"  I  am  called  Merodach,  the  Babylonian.  Will 
you  also  tell  me  your  name?  " 

"  Thy  servant  is  no  more  than  Miriam,  the  He- 
brew slave  of  Esmun  of  Tyre,  and  of  Tanith,  his 
daughter.  Kindness  is  sweet  in  the  heart  of  a 
slave." 


1 6  A  Captain  of  Men 

Again  silence  held  them,  though  they  were  both 
wishful  to  say  more,  until  Miriam  signalled  to  her 
men  to  continue  the  march  homeward.  Then,  bow- 
ing low  before  the  Assyrian,  she  left  him. 

Yet  it  was  not  long  before  she  was  impelled  to 
turn  and  take  one  last  look  at  Merodach.  He  was 
standing  motionless,  his  head  bowed  as  if  in  medi- 
tation, and  she  was  glad  to  be  able  to  gaze  at  him 
unobserved. 

He  was  tall,  a  hand's-breadth  taller  than  the 
average  man.  Yet  the  perfection  of  his  form  re- 
lieved his  height  and  graced  it  with  martial  state- 
liness.  Her  woman's  eye  dwelt  lovingly  upon  the 
richness  of  his  garb  and  armour.  The  light  from 
his  silver  helmet  dazzled  her,  and  the  silver  scales 
on  his  arms  and  breast  seemed  to  sparkle  like  rip- 
pling water.  His  cross-belts  were  of  immaculate 
neatness,  and  the  metal  on  his  scabbard  appeared 
molten  gold.  Before  this  she  had  noticed  the  al- 
most foppish  nicety  of  his  curled  and  scented  beard, 
and  the  fineness  of  his  linen;  yet  she  had  not  till 
now  fully  appreciated  the  splendour  of  his  appear- 
ance. It  was  marvellous  to  know  that  he  had  helped 
her.  It  might  be  that  he  had  mocked  her,  —  that 
he  was  even  the  king  himself. 

Then  she  forgot  his  external  adornment  in  the 
sudden  warmth  that  thrilled  her  when  she  discov- 


Miriam  and  the  Captain  17 

ered  that  he  was  returning  her  gaze.  She  was 
startled  to  be  caught  watching  him,  yet  she  would 
not  have  lost  this  proof  of  his  interest  in  her.  Nor 
did  Merodach  ever  forget  the  long  gaze  which  held 
them  both  in  troubled  bewilderment. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   HAND   OF   NEBO 

As  in  every  other  army,  since  men  began  first  to 
organize  for  war  and  battles,  there  were  certain 
veterans  in  the  Assyrian  Horse  who  resented  im- 
provement or  innovations  in  drill.  They  had  ridden 
to  battle  all  their  lives  with  their  knees  high  up  on 
their  horses'  withers.  They  had  also  been  accus- 
tomed to  use  their  bows  as  their  chief  weapons.  Yet 
was  this  young  lord  upsetting  all  precedents  with 
his  commands  that  they  should  lower  their  knees, 
and  learn  to  strike  and  thrust  with  the  sword.  To 
these  useless  ends  they  were  being  unmercifully 
drilled,  in  season  and  out.  And  especially  that 
matter  of  drill  was  a  most  unbearable  grievance; 
even  while  they  were  wiping  their  beards  and  lips, 
and  while  the  wines  of  Phoenicia  were  still  tickling 
their  palates,  my  lord  Merodach  had  called  them 
to  drill.  So,  like  reluctant  dogs  from  a  toothsome 
bone,  they  went  snarling  to  their  duties. 

18 


The  Hand  of  Nebo  19 

Some  two  hours  later,  Merodach  was  still  busy 
exercising  his  squadrons  in  battle  formations. 

"  Carry  your  knees  lower!  "  he  sternly  cautioned 
some  of  the  most  rebellious.  "  Still  lower !  You 
cannot  strike  hard  while  your  knees  hug  your 
horses'  withers.  Close  up!  Close  up!  Give  your 
charge  weight  by  massing  together,"  and  he  sent 
them  rushing  down  the  firm  sands  over  and  over 
again.  "  That  is  better,  much  better,"  he  cried, 
heartily.  "  What  if  your  legs  do  grind  together ! 
keep  them  low.  Nothing  can  stop  you  when  you 
are  welded  into  one."  Twice  more  he  urged  them 
to  the  charge,  then  bidding  them  rest,  he  discovered 
a  messenger  from,  the  king,  demanding  his  atten- 
tion. Dismissing  his  command,  he  made  obeisance 
before  the  royal  seal. 

"  To  Merodach,  chief  of  horse,  from  my  lord 
the  king;  the  word  of  his  mouth,"  droned  the  mes- 
senger. A  scribe  was  quickly  found,  the  formalities 
of  delivering  and  receiving  the  earthen  tablet  were 
observed,  and  the  message  was  read  aloud  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  From  Asshur-ab-aram,  king  by  the  grace  of  the 
great  gods  Asshur,  Bel,  Nebo,  Tashnit,  Ishtar  of 
Nineveh,  and  Ishtar  of  Arbela,  protectors  of  roy- 
alty; 

"  To  Merodach,   my   chief   of  horse,   greeting. 


2O  A  Captain  of  Men 

May  an  hundred  years  of  life  be  granted  to  Mero- 
dach,  my  servant,  before  my  face. 

"  For  be  it  known  that  on  this  24th  day  of  the 
month  Air  in  the  fifth  year  of  my  reign,  I  have  ap- 
pointed Merodach,  called  the  Babylonian,  to  be 
Turtan  of  the  Left,  and  to  be  governor  of  the  Khatti 
(Hittites).  Also  be  it  known  that  I  have  herein 
commanded  my  servant  Merodach  to  place  Nebo, 
the  archer,  in  charge  of  my  camp;  and  that  Mero- 
dach, the  Turtan,  shall  hasten  to  enter  my  presence 
here  on  board  the  ship  of  Hiram,  my  friend,  king 
of  the  Sidonians." 

A  strange  smile  passed  over  the  newly  promoted 
officer's  face  while  he  listened  to  this  evidence  of 
royal  favour.  Only  one  man,  the  Turtan  of  the 
Right,  now  stood  between  him  and  the  king  in  com- 
mand of  the  army.  Conscious  as  he  was  of  the 
new  humility  in  the  scribe  (who  cast  himself  on 
the  ground,  beseeching  his  favour),  Merodach  was 
nevertheless  tempted  to  flout  his  unexpected  good 
fortune.  But,  upon  second  thought,  he  made  rich 
presents  to  both  scribe  and  messenger,  and  dismissed 
them.  The  scribe  departed  to  prepare  the  tablet,  by 
baking,  for  the  archives,  and  the  messenger  to  his 
post  by  the  king.  Merodach  himself  went  in  search 
of  Nebo  to  notify  him  of  his  charge. 

News  of  his  advancement  had  already  reached 


The  Hand  of  Nebo  21 

his  men,  who  crowded  around  him  with  shouts  of 
joy.  The  genuineness  of  their  pleasure  won  his 
face  to  softness  as  he  thanked  them  for  their  loy- 
alty. Bidding  them  be  worthy  of  his  training,  to 
make  their  past  as  nothing  beside  their  future,  he 
passed  between  their  now  silent  ranks  to  Nebo's 
tent 

He  found  the  latter  sullenly  nursing  his  wrist, 
now  seared  and  bandaged  in  soothing  oils.  His 
countenance  was  downcast,  and  his  muttered  accept- 
ance of  his  new  duties  wias  in  the  manner  of  one 
wishing  but  not  daring1  to  be  insolent. 

Not  long,  and  Merodach  had  ridden  through  the 
streets  of  the  ancient  city  to  the  wharves  whdch  lined 
the  narrow  arm  of  the  sea  separating  it  from  its 
island  part.  There  he  saw  the  royal  barge  and  its 
famous  rowers  from  Arvad,  the  home  of  oarsmen. 
He  gave  his  horse,  Nergal,  in  charge  of  a  soldier 
who  had  accompanied  him  for  that  purpose,  and 
stepped  on  board.  The  barge  sped  to  the  wharf 
before  the  arsenal,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  island, 
and  he  landed  just  in  time  to  join  the  two  sover- 
eigns in  their  procession  over  the  purple-carpeted 
gangway  to  Hiram's  ship  of  state. 

Asshur-ab-aram,  tired  and  worn  by  his  dissipa- 
tion of  the  night  before,  smiled  heavily  upon  him. 
He  took  his  new  place  in  rear  of  the  Turtan  of  the 


22  A  Captain  of  Men 

Right,  who  was  ranged  by  the  side  of  the  chief 
eunuch  and  behind  the  eunuch  who  bore  the  para- 
sol. 

Crowds  of  shouting  sailors  thronged  the  maze 
of  vessels  in  the  harbour.  Big-bellied  merchantmen 
of  Utica  and  Tarshish,  keen-snouted  biremes,  pleas- 
ure barges,  and  even  the  humble  boats  of  the  water- 
men were  decked  with  sails  and  streamers  of  purple 
and  violet  and  amethystine  hues.  Behind  them  rose 
the  palaces,  tier  on  tier  of  massive  stone  and  fra- 
grant cedar,  their  roofs  crowded  with  people.  By 
the  lofty  portico  of  the  new  temple  stood  marshalled 
ranks  of  white-robed  priests,  —  priests  of  Baal  Mel- 
karth,  priests  of  Ashtoreth,  and  the  high  priest 
himself.  The  smoke  of  the  altars  rose  straight  up- 
ward from  the  temple  court,  and  the  swinging  cen- 
sers filled  the  sluggish  air  with  the  fumes  of  frank- 
incense and  myrrh.  But  like  a  foul  undercurrent 
flowed  the  odour  from  the  heaps  of  rotting  shells  of 
the  purple  murex-fish. 

Hiram  led  his  guests  over  his  exquisite  ship. 
Sheathings  of  gold  and  of  shining  bronze  covered 
its  planks  from  Lebanon.  Its  rowers  were  picked 
men  from  Arvad;  their  benches  were  of  boxwood 
inlaid  with  ivory.  Its  sails  and  awnings  were  of 
finest,  heaviest  linen  of  that  peculiar  purple  which 
glows  crimson  in  the  sunlight.  Ebony  pins  held 


The  Hand  of  Nebo  23 

the  oars;  the  step  of  the  mast  was  of  pure  gold  and 
the  anchors  of  silver.  There,  also,  stood  a  band 
of  the  king's  body-guard,  full-bodied,  stately  men 
of  Gebal,  resplendent  in  golden  helmets  and  armour, 
and  purple  linen  cloaks.  The  skin  of  a  great  black 
bear,  slain  in  Tarshish,  was  under  the  throne  of  the 
Assyrian  king,  and  the  yellow  fur  of  a  Libyan  lion 
was  spread  for  Hiram's  feet. 

Merodach  was  dazzled  by  the  glow  of  colour  on 
sea  and  land,  and  by  the  lavish  display  of  precious 
metals.  The  shouts  of  the  multitude  thrilled  him, 
and  he  was  surprised  and  awed  by  the  youth  and 
regal  bearing  of  the  Sidonian  king.  Yet,  despite 
his  emotion,  so  keen  were  his  glances  and  quick 
to  comprehend,  and  so  gallant  was  his  appearance, 
that  Hiram  singled  him  out  and  showed  him  marked 
attention.  He  called  his  notice  to  the  hold,  and  the 
compactness  of  its  lading;  he  explained  the  use  of 
the  mallet  which  timed  the  rowers,  and  of  the  table 
upon  which  it  was  struck. 

When  the  wharves  and  the  city  were  far  behind 
them,  Hiram  placed  the  Assyrian  king  before  the 
table,  and  Asshur-ab-aram  beat  time  loudly,  and 
imagined  himself  king  of  seamen,  monarch  of  the 
Sea  of  the  Rising  Sun. 

The  fresh  air  of  the  sea  blew  saltily  in  their  nos- 
trils, and  drummed  on  the  purple  sail  bellying  above 


24  A  Captain  of  Men 

them,  and  droned  musically  through  the  purple  rig- 
ging. Schools  of  porpoises  tumbled  and  played 
about  the  vessel,  and  the  notes  of  trumpets  pealed 
joyfully  over  the  sunny  water. 

One  of  the  crew  hooked  a  shark,  about  noon,  and 
the  Assyrian  king  rivalled  his  mighty  predecessor, 
Tiglath-Pileser,  by  pulling  lustily  on  the  line  which 
drew  it  aboard.  Eight  feet  long  was  the  fish,  and 
furious  to  escape.  Asshur-ab-aram  forgot  his  dig- 
nity and  shouted  his  approval  when  Merodach  killed 
it  with  a  spear. 

Perchance  there  may  have  been  a  touch  of  resent- 
ment on  Hiram's  part  in  what  followed,  for  he  must 
have  been  able  to  forecast  the  result.  At  all  events, 
after  a  sumptuous  luncheon,  —  which  might  better 
be  termed  a  dinner,  —  he  caused  the  ship  to  cruise 
quietly  along  the  coast,  and  then  bore  fairly  out 
to  sea.  The  shores  and  headlands  melted  to  a  violet 
haze,  the  wind  and  waves  rose  higher,  and  his  lands- 
men-guests grewi  very  quiet.  The  chief  eunuch 
clutched  dismally  at  his  monarch's  throne  and  turned 
a  sickly  green.  The  Turtan  of  the  Right  lay  heav- 
ily against  Merodach,  Turtan  of  the  Left,  and  their 
king  did  not  think  to  call  them  to  an  account;  for 
Asshur-ab-aram  had  begun  to  loathe  the  sea.  In- 
deed, the  demons  of  seasickness  overcame  the  As- 
syrians and  created  such  inward  commotion  as  to 


The  Hand  of  Nebo  25 

make  them  hang  limply  against  the  bulwarks,  cry- 
ing —  when  they  could :  "  Hilkah !  Hilkah !  Besha ! 
Besha!"  (Go  away!  Go  away!  Evil  one!  Evil 
one!)  Broad  grins  covered  the  faces  of  the  sailors 
and  the  rowers,  who  had  long  grown  tired  of  the 
airs  of  the  foolish  landsmen.  Hiram  himself  rel- 
ished the  scene,  but  he  hid  his  enjoyment,  and  turned 
to  Merodach,  who  was  still  fresh-looking  and  cheer- 
ful. 

"  Surely  you  have  before  this  sailed  on  ships," 
he  said,  with  an  admiring  glance. 

"  But  little,  my  lord  the  king,  and  that  only  in 
my  youth." 

"  Then  this  is  not  the  first  time  you  have  been  on 
this  sea?  " 

"  It  is  truly  my  first  visit  here.  When  a  boy  I 
was  for  a  brief  time  a  sailor  on  one  of  the  vessels 
which  sailed  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees." 

Something  in  the  Assyrian's  manner  caused  the 
king  to  change  the  subject,  and,  after  a  few  more 
words,  go  to  condole  with  his  brother  monarch. 

But,  unfortunately,  this  immunity  from  seasick- 
ness bid  fair  to  work  Merodach  very  much  ill. 
Asshur-ab-aram  saw  how  this  one  of  his  subjects 
escaped  the  nausea  which  he,  the  king,  had  suffered, 
and,  forthwith,  he  began  to  remember  that  he  had 
never  liked  this  Commander  of  the  Left.  Nor  did 


26  A  Captain  of  Men 

he  have  to  send  for  his  chief  scribe  to  remind  him 
of  an  incident  which,  on  the  contrary,  still  rankled 
in  his  memory.  Indeed,  he  had  not  considered  it 
wise  to  have  that  adventure  recorded  at  all.  He 
had  been  hunting  among  the  reeds  of  a  marshy 
river,  and  was  returning  to  his  camp.  Some  little 
thing  had  happened  to  separate  him  from  his  hunts- 
men and  beaters,  and  he  was  waiting  alone  in  his 
chariot  when  a  wounded  lion  attacked  him.  And 
then  Merodach  had  saved  his  life. 

Assyrian  law  made  it  death  for  a  subject  to  place 
himself  between  the  king  and  his  quarry.  But 
Merodach  had  slain  the  lion  with  his  sword,  and 
Asshur-ab-aram  had  been  well  content  to  accept 
the  merit  of  the  deed.  Yet  he  never  forgot  the 
sneer  which  had  curled  his  captain's  lips  when  he 
had  not  corrected  the  report  of  his  own  bravery. 
The  very  silence  of  Merodach  was  a  bitter  reproach 
to  him,  and  the  king  hated  him  ever  afterward. 
Now,  as  an  evil  fate  would  have  it,  Merodach  was 
again  victor  when  he  was  the  vanquished,  and  his 
hatred  became  still  deeper. 

But  a  kindlier  fortune  was  even  then  preparing 
a  vent  for  this  gathering  bitterness.  They-  were 
boarded  by  a  messenger  from  the  camp  just  before 
they  reached  the  wharf.  Asshur-ab-aram  sat  on 
his  throne,  leaning  toward  the  eunuch  who  fanned 


The   Hand  of  Nebo  27 

him.  The  chief  eunuch  received  the  earthen  tab- 
let, spoke  to  the  king,  then  gave  it  to  the  chief 
scribe,  commanding  him  to  read  it  aloud. 

"  Salutation  to  the  king,  my  lord,"  it  ran.  "  May 
Asshur,  Nergal,  Bel,  Zarpanit,  Nebo,  Tashnit,  Ish- 
tar  of  Arbela,  the  great  gods,  protectors  of  royalty, 
give  countless  years  to  the  king,  my  lord,  and  slaves 
and  wives  in  great  number  to  the  king,  my  lord. 

"  I,  Nebo  the  archer,  have  received  of  Mero- 
dach the  Babylonian,  now  Turtan  of  the  Left,  my 
fellow  servant  of  the  king,  my  lord,  a  most  grievous 
hurt.  My  right  hand  has  been  severed  from  its 
wrist,  and  I  am  therefore  now  unable  to  serve  the 
king,  my  lord.  I  am  become  an  useless  thing  be- 
cause of  the  inexcusable  violence  of  Merodach,  the 
Babylonian.  Most  humbly  do  I  now  cast  myself 
before  the  king,  my  lord,  and  beg  of  him  justice 
and  a  hearing." 

Nothing  could  have  given  the  king  more  pleas- 
ure than  this  unhoped-for  opportunity.  He  rejoiced 
that  Merodach  had  placed  himself  in  the  wrong, 
yet  he  was  also  furious  when  he  thought  of  Nebo's 
loss. 

"  Stand  forth,  Merodach,  thou  Babylonian  dog," 
he  savagely  commanded.  "  Is  it  true  that  thou  hast 
maimed  the  best  archer  in  all  mine  army  ?  " 

"  It  is  true,  my  lord." 


28  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  Write  it  down  even  as  he  said  it,"  exclaimed  the 
king  to  his  scribe.  Then  more  fiercely :  "  And  who 
art  thou  thus  willing  to  dare  my  vengeance?  Did 
I  not  lift  thee  from  the  ranks  and  show  thee  favour? 
Thy  bearing  is  insolent.  It  may  be  that  I  have  not 
known  thee.  Tell  me  who  thou  art,  that  thy  name 
may  be  written  properly  with  thine  offence,  before 
I  bid  them  seize  thee  by  thy  girdle." 

"  Write  my  answer  fully  as  I  give  it,"  said  Mero- 
dach,  proudly.  "  Write  that  I,  Merodach,  called  the 
Babylonian,  am  Merodach-Pileser,  the  son  of  Sham- 
mus  Vul,  once  King  of  Assyria,  where  now  sits 
Asshur-ab-aram,  the  usurper.  Write  that  my  father 
was  brother  of  Asshur-bil-Kala ;  that  they  two  were 
the  sons  of  Tiglath-Pileser,  the  son  of  Asshur-ris- 
elim,  whose  father  was  Mutaggil  Nebo,  the  son  of 
Asshur-dayan,  whose  father  was  Nin-pala-zara,  the 
great  founder  of  our  line.  Now!  tell  me:  Whose 
son  art  thou,  Asshur-ab-aram  ?  " 

At  first  it  seemed  as  if  the  Assyrian  king  could 
not  reply.  Face  to  face  with  the  grandson  of  Tig- 
lath-Pileser, he  was  almost  ready  to  see  his  subjects 
pluck  him  from  the  throne.  But  they  were  all  his 
creatures;  his  good  fortune  was  theirs,  so  he 
shrieked  out  his  fear  and  rage. 

"  You  lie !     You  lie !    you  whelp  of  Babylon !  " 


The  Hand  of  Nebo  29 

Then  turning  to  the  affrighted  scribe,  he  snarled : 
"  What  hast  thou  written  ?  " 

Slowly  and  haltingly  his  dazed  servant  read  the 
long  list  of  names. 

"Cast  it  into  the  sea!"  howled  the  king.  The 
order  was  obeyed.  A  bitter  smile  made  the  king's 
face  more  terrible  than  had  his  rage.  "  Tell  me," 
he  asked,  "is  it  not  thy  duty  to  preserve  thy  rec- 
ords?" 

"  It  is,  my  lord  the  king." 

"  Yet  thou  art  here,  and  thy  records  are  there. 
Surely  thou  must  save  them  and  see  that  they  reach 
my  royal  city  in  safety.  To  thy  duty,  O  scribe !  " 

The  chief  scribe  gazed  imploringly  at  the  king, 
who  only  smiled,  and  looked  toward  the  sea.  Al- 
most crawling  from  his  seat,  he  prostrated  himself 
in  homage,  and  leaped  clumsily  over  the  bulwarks. 

Asshur-ab-aram  lazily  left  his  throne,  and  stood 
watching  until  the  arms  and  head  of  the  drowning 
man  came  in  sight.  There  were  a  few  wild  strug- 
gles, a  choking  cry,  and  all  was  over.  Then  the 
king  glanced  at  Merodach  and  appeared  surprised 
at  seeing  him  in  the  ship. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  thou  art  still  there,  thou  son 
of  kings?  Behold,  the  records  of  thy  greatness  are 
still  unsaved.  Save  them,  and  I  will  forgive  thee, 
Merodach." 


30  A  Captain  of  Men 

There  was  no  chance  to  mistake  the  meaning 
of  the  king.  Merodach  knew  that  he  must  die  in 
the  ship,  or  leap  into  the  water  after  the  scribe. 

Glancing  quickly  about  him,  at  the  dark  face  of 
the  now  triumphant  king,  the  quiet  figure  of  Hiram, 
and  the  great  city  in  the  distance,  he  sprang  on  top 
of  the  narrow  bulwark  and  dove  straight  into  the 
sea. 

Once  more  Asshur-ab-aram  rose  to  view  the 
sight  of  a  drowning  subject.  But  the  ripples  wid- 
ened, the  water  became  again  smooth,  and  he  never 
more  beheld  the  face  of  Merodach. 


CHAPTER    III. 

IN    THE   HUT   OF   HADAD   AND   CHNA 

Now  while  all  the  Assyrians  on  board  the  ship 
were  satisfied  that  Merodach  was  drowned,  Hiram 
and  all  his  men  were  sure  of  the  very  reverse.  The 
Phoenician  sailors  and  their  sailor  king  were  cer- 
tain that  one  who  had  cleft  the  water  as  skilfully 
as  any  diver  would  pass  under  the  ship,  and  try 
to  escape  by  swimming  to  the  shore. 

So  while  Asshur-ab-aram  and  his  following  gazed 
carefully  to  see  Merodach  struggle  and  drown,  as 
had  the  scribe,  Hiram  and  the  sailors  kept  silence 
and  watched  toward  the  other  side,  in  the  expecta- 
tion of  witnessing  a  cunning  escape.  Nor  were 
these  last  disappointed ;  for  their  keen  eyes  discov- 
ered Merodach  the  instant  he  rose  for  breath.  They 
saw  him  dive  and  rise  again  and  again,  until  the 
distance  finally  hid  him.  And  they  mocked  inwardly 
at  their  land-bred  guests,  and  held  their  peace. 

Nevertheless  it  was  a  long,  wearisome  swim,  and 
3' 


32  A  Captain  of  Men 

Merodach  well-nigh  perished  of  exhaustion  before 
he  was  rescued  by  two  men  in  a  rowboat.  In  fact, 
he  was  peacefully  allowing  himself  to  sink,  while 
the  two  watermen  disputed  concerning  the  wisdom 
of  giving  him  succour.  The  green,  rumbling  veil 
of  water  had  fallen  upon  him:  He  knew  no  more 
till  he  was  returned  to  consciousness  in  the  poor 
hut  of  his  rude  preservers.  Moreover,  he  was  sol- 
dier and  philosopher  enough  to  be  able  to  appreciate 
the  justice  of  their  logic,  that  an  Assyrian  was  for- 
tunate in  escaping  naked  from  the  sea.  So  Mero- 
dach stayed  awiake  long  enough  to  satisfy  himself 
that  he  was  alive,  to  discover  the  two  watermen 
wrangling  and  cursing  over  the  distribution  of  his 
entire  belongings,  and  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of 
drifting  off  into  sleep. 

The  owners  of  the  hut  were  away,  and  the  sun 
was  well  up  in  the  sky  when  he  awoke  and  lay  for 
some  minutes  on  his  couch  of  mangy  skins,  recall- 
ing the  incidents  which  had  made  him  an  outcast 
in  a  strange  land.  In  many  ways  this  was  the  most 
complete  demolishment  of  the  structure  of  his  de- 
sires that  had  hitherto  hindered  his  purposeful  yet 
checkered  career.  Disappointments  and  obstacles 
had  been  plentiful  in  his  past,  but  had  never  daunted 
him.  So  even  now,  when  all  was  seemingly  lost, 
he  thanked  his  gods  for  saving  him  naked  from  his 


In  the  Hut  of  Hadad  and  Chna    33 

peril.  Soon  hunger  took  the  place  of  meditation. 
He  bound  one  of  the  skins  about  his  waist,  and 
searched  the  hut  till  he  found  some  cakes  of  millet 
and  a  skin  of  wine. 

Later  the  watermen  returned  for  their  noontime 
luncheon.  They  owned  a  boat,  and  carried  water 
from  the  mainland  to  the  islands.  Chna,  the  elder 
of  the  two,  was  a  grizzled  veteran  of  unknown  age 
and  countless  experiences.  The  storms  and  sun 
of  every  sea  then  known  had  changed  his  skin  to- 
wrinkled  parchment.  His  hair  and  beard  were 
tossed  and  tangled  and  coarsened  by  salty  spray 
and  wintry  blasts.  Lean,  active,  seasoned,  gray, 
he  seemed  old  as  time ;  an  immortal  of  the  deep. 

As  is  so  often  the  case,  his  companion  Hadad 
was  his  opposite.  Many  counted  the  young  water- 
man the  strongest  and  handsomest  man  in  Tyre  — 
if  not  in  Sidonia.  A  few  declared  that  Zagros,  the 
Nubian  slave  of  T'anith,  the  daughter  of  Prince 
Esmun,  was  stronger  than  he,  but  they  were  in  the 
minority.  Still  more  asserted  that  the  beauty  of 
Hector,  the  Greek,  was  more  subtle  and  finished 
than  Hadad's  massive  form  or  boyish,  dissipated 
face  could  ever  hope  to  be.  But  all  united  in  the 
verdict  that  Hadad  had  been  most  lavishly  gifted 
with  both  strength  and  comeliness.  There  was  also 
a  certain  mystery  attached  to  this  younger  of  the 


34  A  Captain  of  Men 

Assyrian's  preservers.  It  was  known  that  Hadad 
had  come  there  from  Damascus.  Rumour  said 
that  he  was  of  good  family.  There  wiere  moments 
when  his  manner  and  conversation  gave  hint  of 
education  and  a  past  above  his  present  condition. 
Yet,  whatever  his  past  had  been,  he  was  Chna's 
partner  now,  and  he  had  well  earned  his  reputation 
for  reckless  debauchery. 

Hadad  accepted  the  Assyrian's  thanks  with  care- 
less laughter,  while  Chna  grumbled  and  cursed  at 
the  shiftlessness  of  a  man  so  lacking  in  the  swim- 
mer's art.  He  growled  all  during  the  meal;  he 
was  cross-grained  and  crabbed  beyond  description, 
but,  before  he  left,  he  tossed  a  shirt  at  the  Assyr- 
ian's feet,  and  cursed  him  for  his  nakedness.  Some- 
how Merodach  had  a  sensation  of  friendship  for 
the  surly  veteran,  and  he  determined  to  win  his 
favour. 

Alone  and  among  strangers,  his  indomitable  brain 
was  already  beginning  to  outline  plans  that  would 
make  his  new  surroundings  factors  in  his  ultimate 
success.  He  had  before  this  met  and  won  men  of 
the  most  opposite  characteristics,  and  that  night  he 
dug  his  first  trenches  in  his  siege  of  Chna's  heart. 
This  hut  of  the  water-carriers  was  the  only  refuge 
he  could  keep;  he  would  prevent  its  owners  from 
the  wish  to  be  rid  of  his  presence. 


In  the  Hut  of  Hadad  and  Chna    35 

Chna  was  old  and  garrulous.  The  wily  Assyrian 
ignored  his  grumblings,  endured  his  cursings,  tried 
him  here,  and  tempted  him  there,  and  in  the  end 
got  the  veteran  launched  on  the  limitless  ocean  of 
reminiscences. 

Old!  If  one-half  of  what  Chna  told  as  having 
happened  to  himself  were  true,  he  must  have  been 
old  indeed.  Before  the  Greeks  had  commenced 
to  struggle  for  the  wealth  of  the  northern  coasts, 
Chna  had  sailed  as  merchant,  discoverer,  or  pirate, 
as  the  opportunity  might  appear.  He  had  been  to 
Cholchis,  where  the  miners  caught  the  golden  sands 
of  the  rivers  on  sheep-skins;  like  Jason,  he  had 
stolen  the  Golden  Fleece.  Once  he  had  spent  weeks 
among  the  Chalybes,  and  seen  the  red  light  of  their 
forges  on  their  naked  breasts,  while  they  beat  out 
sword  and  dagger  of  steel,  chanting  incantations 
while  they  worked.  He  knew  the  secret  of  how  they 
tempered  their  blades,  burying  them  in  the  earth 
till  they  were  fit  to  cut  through  metal  helm 
and  shield  of  bronze.  The  old  man's  deep-set 
eyes  glittered  as  he  narrated  incidents  of  voyages 
among  the  Grecian  isles.  He  told  how  his  com- 
rades would  place  their  merchandise  on  the  beach, 
and  then  return  to  the  vessels  and  wait  while 
the  timid  natives  selected  what  took  their  fancy. 
They,  in  their  turn,  would  withdraw,  and  the  Phoe- 


36  A   Captain  of  Men 

nicians,  gathering  together  the  articles  unsold,  and 
the  gold  left  for  the  things  taken,  would  repeat 
their  landings  until  they  were  ready  for  the  home- 
ward voyage.  But  such  scenes  were  tame  compared 
with  the  excitement  of  decoying  youths  and  maidens 
into  the  ship,  to  be  kept  and  sold  as  slaves.  Prince 
Esmun  had  in  such  manner  obtained  Hector,  but 
had  since  freed  him  and  made  him  his  secretary. 

Merodach  also  heard  of  Stromboli,  and  of  its 
warning  smoke.  Chna  said  that  a  storm  was  sure 
to  come  when  the  smoke  drooped  low  toward  the 
sea.  The  great  Cabirim  —  the  mariners'  gods  — 
used  it  to  warn  the  sailors  to  take  in  sail  and  seek 
a  harbour.  But  of  all  his  tales,  Chna  told  none 
so  interesting,  Merodach  thought,  as  that  of  his  last 
voyage  for  tin.  They  had  beat  their  course  to 
Utica,  from  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  (now 
called  the  Rhone),  and  had  from  there  gone  inland 
nearly  to  its  source.  They  had  climbed  the  moun- 
tains to  the  temple  of  Melkarth,  their  regular  rest- 
ing-place. Caravans  of  the  precious  metal,  from 
some  unknown  land  in  the  distant  west,  came  up 
a  river  (the  Seine)  and  met  the  Phoenicians  at  the 
temple.  But  the  natives  had  begun  to  prevent  the 
passage  of  the  metal  through  their  country,  and 
Chna  and  his  party  had  been  compelled  to  fight  their 


In  the  Hut  of  Hadad  and  Chna    37 

way  back,  every  step.  Yet  they  had  saved  the  tin, 
—  as  had  not  always  happened  since. 

Now  Hadad  was  never  easy  when  others  did  the 
talking;  he,  too,  had  stories  to  tell,  of  the  sirens 
and  their  songs.  He  was  not  quite  sure  that  he  had 
seen  them,  but  he  had  heard  them  sing,  and  he  had 
longed  to  go  to  them.  It  was  true  that  they  brought 
sure  destruction  on  those  who  went  to  them.  No, 
he  had  not  seen  the  sirens,  but  he  had  seen  the 
maidens  of  Gebal  loosen  their  hair,  and  beat  their 
breasts,  and  lament  over  the  death  of  Adonis.  Each 
year,  when  the  summer  was  hot,  they  bewailed  his 
death  by  the  river  of  his  name,  and  each  year  the 
river  had  been  reddened  with  his  blood.  Hadad  had 
seen  the  water  turn  to  blood  with  his  own  eyes; 
and  truly  the  women  of  Gebal  were  surpassingly 
beautiful  while  they  mourned. 

Chna  admitted  that  there  was  something  impres- 
sive in  the  ceremony,  but  still  it  was  nothing  beside 
the  interest  of  a  genuine  Feast  of  Expiation.  Times 
were  not  as  they  once  were,  he  complained;  men 
were  becoming  too  rich  and  selfish.  When  he  was 
young,  it  was  a  common  thing  for  the  highest  in 
the  land  to  offer  their  first-born  to  Baal-Moloch  in 
times  of  trouble.  Then  men  were  men  indeed,  and 
it  was  beautiful  to  see  the  women  deck  themselves 
and  dance  while  the  gods  scorched  up  their  chil- 


38  A  Captain  of  Men 

dren.  Now  the  rich  offered  their  slaves,  or  bought 
the  children  of  the  poor  and  mocked  the  gods  with 
their  sacrifice.  Yet  the  time  must  come  when  the 
people  would  compel  the  rich  to  give  of  their  own. 
Everything  had  of  late  years  gone  well  with  Tyre; 
let  Baal-Hamon  burn  up  the  land  and  cause  a  fam- 
ine, —  then  surely  the  change  would  come.  Chna 
then  spoke  of  the  dryness  of  that  very  spring;  it 
might  be  that  the  famine  was  quite  near  at  hand. 

Both  Hadad  and  Chna  told  of  the  pillars  of  Mel- 
karth  near  the  end  of  the  world.  Not  far  beyond 
them,  to  the  west,  was  the  sea  of  eternal  night. 
Terrible  spirits  were  there,  guarding  the  place  where 
the  waters  of  the  earth  plunged  hissing  and  head- 
long into  space. 

The  glamour  of  their  tales  wove  a  spell  about 
the  Assyrian's  heart.  Merodach  listened,  and 
dreamed  of  the  end  of  the  world,  of  the  sirens,  and 
of  the  land  of  tin.  The  restless  sea  sang  its  song 
upon  the  beach,  and  its  mystery  grew  into  his  heart, 
until  he  forgot  home  and  people;  forgot  all  save 
"  the  unharvested  sea "  stretching  limitless  before 
him. 

Twice,  during  the  two  weeks  of  his  stay  with  the 
water-carriers,  he  went  into  the  streets  of  the  island 
city  and  learned  of  the  whereabouts  of  Esmun,  the 
princely  merchant.  Once,  while  there,  he  heard 


In  the  Hut  of  Hadad  and   Chna    39 

the  tramp  of  soldiers.  Hiding  himself  in  a  shel- 
tered nook,  he  watched  rank  after  rank  of  curled 
Assyrians  pass  so  close  that  he  might  have  touched 
the  nearest.  He  craved  to  be  with  them,  to  speak  to 
them,  to  return  with  them  to  the  camp.  In  spite 
of  their  feastings  and  revellings,  they  were  still 
altogether  different  from  the  fat,  lazy  guard  of 
Hiram's  court.  With  a  leader  like  himself,  they 
could  conquer  the  world.  It  came  to  him  like  a 
certainty,  that  he  had  but  to  reappear  among  them 
and  proclaim  himself  the  grandson  of  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  —  they  would  rally  to  him  to  a  man.  More 
than  that,  it  was  as  if  sudden  knowledge  came  to 
him  of  himself.  The  experiences  of  his  life,  the 
full  meaning  of  their  discipline  and  training,  was 
clear  to  him,  so  that  he  became  able  to  weigh  cor- 
rectly his  own  powers  and  strength  and  failings. 
The  genius  of  command  was  his,  the  ability  to  mould 
and  use  an  army,  a  nation,  —  and  he  knew  it.  And 
it  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  placed  face  to  face  with 
one  of  the  decisive  moments  of  his  life.  He  had 
learned  that  in  every  hard-fought  battle  there  comes 
a  pause,  a  moment,  a  crisis :  that  then  is  the  time  to 
strike  the  decisive  blow.  It  was  now  that  he  must 
snatch  the  flying  moment  which  held  Assyria's 
crown. 

He  even  sprang  from  his  hiding-place  to  rally 


40  A   Captain  of  Men 

these  men  to  his  standard;  but  he  did  not  speak, 
he  kept  silence,  and  walked  slowly,  and  as  one  who 
dreams,  back  to  the  hut  of  Hadad  and  Chna. 

A  few!  days  later,  he  stood  high  up  on  one  of 
the  slopes  of  Lebanon  to  watch  the  army  wind 
reluctantly  on  its  homeward  march.  He  was  bid- 
ding good-bye  to  all  that  had  been  dearest  in  his 
past.  There  marched  the  skirmishers,  the  light- 
armed  bowmen  he  had  so  often  seen  flitting  here 
and  there  in  the  front  of  battle.  There  marched 
the  archers  of  the  line,  accompanied  each  by  his 
comrade,  bearing  the  great  wicker  shield.  Behind 
them  rolled  the  war-chariots,  seemingly  innumer- 
able. Then  the  royal  standard,  emblazoned  with 
Asshur  bending  his  bow;  and  the  king  himself,  in 
tiara  and  fringed  chasuble,  shaded  by  his  crimson 
parasol.  Again  innumerable  chariots,  —  would 
they  never  end!  The  miserable  ranks  of  captives 
followed,  lagging  through  the  dust  raised  by  wheels 
and  prancing  horses.  A  horseman  came  into  sight. 
Merodach  leaned  eagerly,  breathlessly,  forward, 
quivering  like  a  dog  in  leash  with  the  stag  in  view; 
before  him  were  the  standard  and  the  horsemen  of 
the  Assyrian  cavalry.  They  were  his  very  own; 
there  was  nothing  equal  to  this  body  of  his  own 
creation.  How  well  they  rode!  They  were  cured 


In  the  Hut  of  Hadad  and  Chna    41 

of  clasping  their  knees  high  before  them ;  they  were 
centaurs,  man  and  horse  were  one. 

Tears  filled  his  eyes  and  a  great  sob  choked  his 
breath;  for  they  still  needed  him;  they  were  as 
nothing  without  his  guiding  voice,  —  and  he  was 
leaving  them.  Never  till  now  had  Merodach,  the 
Assyrian,  known  such  grief. 

But  notwithstanding  his  grief,  and  despite  the 
inner  voice  which  prophesied  that  he  was  losing 
all  in  losing  them,  and  in  face  of  the  promise  that 
it  was  not  yet  too  late,  his  stubborn  will  refused 
to  yield. 

He  had  determined  to  see  Miriam  again;  he 
had  vowed  to  see  for  himself  the  wonders  of  the 
deep,  to  sail  the  great  sea.  In  one  year,  or  it  might 
be  in  two,  he  would  return  to  the  City  of  Asshur 
with  Miriam.  But,  by  Asshur,  by  Shammus,  and 
Ishtar  of  Nineveh!  he  would  not  go  back  till  this 
were  done. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

DAVID,    THE    SON    OF   JESSE 

EARLY  in  the  morning  of  the  following  day, 
Merodach  started  for  the  newer  city.  His  course 
took  him  over  the  causeway,  now  almost  completed. 
The  aqueduct,  which  was  to  carry  water  from 
the  fountain  near  the  beach  to  the  islands,  was  also 
nearly  ready  for  use.  Chna  and  Hadad,  and  the 
others  of  their  vocation,  would  of  necessity  be  com- 
pelled to  seek  other  means  of  obtaining  a  liveli- 
hood. The  Assyrian  pitied  the  veteran,  but  could 
not  but  admire  the  solidity  and  massive  perfection 
of  Hiram's  workmanship. 

Hadad  had  told  him  that  Prince  Esmun  was 
likely  to  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
"  Egyptian  Harbour,"  on  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  island.  The  merchant  was  expecting  grain 
from  Egypt,  and  would  probably  be  where  he  could 
see  it  arrive.  But  Esmun  had  already  left,  and 
Merodach  was  told  that  he  was  even  then  on  his 

42 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  43 

way  to  his  warehouses  and  wharves  near  the  arsenal, 
clear  across  to  the  north.  He  had  a  fleet,  sent  out 
for  tin,  now  some  days  overdue,  and  he  was  be- 
coming anxious  for  its  appearance. 

A  great  mole,  or  breakwater,  was  under  construc- 
tion to  complete  this  southern  harbour.  Merodach 
saw  some  huge  rafts,  from  the  quarries  at  Gebal, 
being  unloaded,  and  he  concluded  to  spend  a  little 
time  watching  the  work.  So  he  passed  along  under 
the  shadow  of  the  city's  wall,  through  swarms  of 
workmen  and  porters,  and  reached  the  unfinished 
part  of  the  mole. 

Hiram  himself  was  there,  superintending  and 
marshalling  his  army  of  labourers.  Nothing  es- 
caped his  eye;  none  dared  to  loiter  while  the  king 
was  near.  He  seemed  omnipresent,  untiring,  the 
embodiment  of  forceful  genius.  Furthermore,  he 
had  the  kingly  accomplishment  of  remembering 
names  and  faces,  for  he  spoke  to  the  Assyrian,  half- 
smiling,  and  said : 

"  So  you  have  not  been  drowned  in  our  Tyrian 
sea,  Merodach-Pileser,  son  of  Assyrian  kings. 
Your  life  among  the  Chaldeans  was  not  altogether 
lost;  for  it  enabled  you  to  learn  to  dive  and  swim 
like  any  sailor  in  my  fleets." 

"  I  crave  your  pardon,  my  lord  the  king.  Thy 
servant  is  as  one  dead;  he  is  now  no  more  than 


44  A   Captain  of  Men 

Merodach,  the  friend  of  Hadad  and  Chna,  the 
water-carriers." 

The  subtle  simplicity  of  the  speaker's  words  and 
expression  tickled  the  king's  fancy.  He  laughed, 
and  retorted: 

"  And  '  my  lord  the  king '  is  at  present  no  more 
than  Hiram,  the  builder  of  causeways  and  har- 
bours." Then  sternly,  yet  with  lowered  voice,  he 
asked :  "  Are  you  indeed  no  more  than  what  you 
seem,  —  a  loyal  man  and  true  ?  " 

"  I  am,  my  lord,  if  it  be  loyal  and  true  to  give 
faithful  service  in  return  for  simple  trust." 

The  king  gazed  long  and  earnestly  at  the  As- 
syrian. "  You  speak  well,"  he  said,  quietly :  "  you 
speak  as  you  fight,  for  your  words  are  a  shield  to 
guard  your  thoughts.  I  will  consider  their  mean- 
ing." Saying  which,  Hiram  abruptly  left  him. 

No  sooner  was  Merodach  alone  than  a  stranger 
touched  him  on  the  arm.  "  Is  that  Hiram,  the 
king?  "  he  asked  in  a  voice  that  moved  his  hearer 
as  will  half-remembered  music.  The  Assyrian 
quickly  turned,  and  could  have  cried  out  in  his 
surprise.  Before  him  was  a  young  man  of  about 
his  own  age,  —  say  of  twenty-seven  or  twenty- 
eight,  —  a  man  sunburned,  and  with  a  silken,  ruddy 
beard;  truly  a  man,  and  seemingly  accustomed  to 
command;  possibly,  nay  surely,  one  such  as  he, 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  45 

—  a  soldier.  Yet  the  stranger's  voice  was  curi- 
ously like  Miriam's;  and  he  was  as  like  Miriam 
as  man  could  be  to  gentle  maid. 

"  That  is  Hiram,  the  king,"  courteously ;  then 
hurriedly,  "But  who  art  thou?" 

The  stranger's  ruddy  face  turned  a  deeper  hue. 
His  blue  eyes  flashed,  and  their  pupils  expanded  as 
does  a  lion's  when  about  to  spring. 

"  Say,  rather,  who  art  thou  ? "  he  proudly  re- 
plied, then  sprang  with  Merodach,  but  before  him, 
and  threw  himself  fiercely  against  the  Sidonian  king. 
A  huge  rock  had  slipped  and  would  have  crushed 
the  latter  —  as  it  crushed  two  of  his  labourers  — 
had  not  the  stranger's  quickness  hurled  him  to 
safety. 

Together  the  stranger  and  Merodach  raised 
Hiram,  and  explained  their  action  by  pointing  to 
where  he  had  been  standing. 

"  I  am  for  ever  in  your  debt,"  he  gravely  said. 
"  Thee  I  already  know,"  to  the  Assyrian.  "  But 
who  art  thou?"  to  the  stranger.  "I  would  know 
thy  name ;  for  surely  I  have  not  seen  thee  before." 

"  I  am  David,  the  son  of  Jesse ;  an  Hebrew.  As 
a  fugitive  among  the  Philistines  I  heard  of  Hiram 
of  Tyre,  and  I  am  come  to  speak  with  the  king." 

"  I  have  heard  some  of  my  people  speak  of  one 
called  David,  a  man  of  valour,  who  defeated  the 


46  A   Captain  of  Men 

Philistines    grievously;     but    surely    thou    art    not 
he." 

David  glanced  warily  at  the  Assyrian,  and  hesi- 
tated a  moment. 

"  Speak  freely,"  said  the  king.  "  Both  you  and 
Merodach  of  Assyria  are  become  my  guests." 

"  I  am  that  David.  For  two  years,  and  more, 
I  have  been  a  fugitive  in  the  land  of  Achish.  I 
heard  of  thee,  and  one  night  I  saw  a  vessel  of  Tyre 
driven  on  the  coast  below  Joppa.  When  it  de- 
parted, I  came  in  it  to  have  speech  with  thee.  For 
art  thou  not  Hiram  of  the  Sidonians?  And  are 
the  Sidonians  yet  forgetful  of  the  wrong  done  them 
by  the  Philistines?  Yet,  now  that  I  am  here,  and 
see  the  wealth  and  greatness  of  thy  people,  — 
behold,  I  am  no  more  than  an  intruder;  a  youth 
before  a  mighty  king." 

"  Nay,  you  are  my  friend.  It  is  true  that  I  am 
now  engaged  by  work  I  may  not  neglect.  Come 
to  me  at  my  palace,  toward  evening,  and  we  shall 
eat  together.  Here  is  my  ring;  take  it  there  when 
you  will.  You  are  my  guest,  and  it  will  place  my 
household  at  your  disposal  during  my  absence.  I 
will  listen  to  you  as  friend  listens  to  friend." 

"  Not  so,  my  lord.  It  is  true  that  I  have  been 
granted  the  privilege  of  doing  thee  a  service.  Yet 
I  am  still  a  stranger.  It  is  better  that  I  prove  my- 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  47 

self  in  some  other  and  more  satisfactory  way  before 
I  accept  thy  ring.  Yet  I  will  not  refuse  the  honour 
of  meeting  thee  at  supper." 

"  Then  at  supper  I  will  prove  that  my  friend- 
ship is  something  more  than  pleasant  words."  The 
king  then  turned  to  Merodach  and  said : 

"  If  it  is  your  purpose  to  remain  here,  in  Tyre, 
tell  me  plainly,  and  I  will  not  fail  to  discover  some- 
thing worthy  of  the  acceptance  of  the  best  soldier 
of  Assyria." 

"  It  were  surely  an  honour  to  serve  Hiram  of 
Tyre  in  any  capacity;  but  it  may  be  that  I  shall 
learn  of  some  place  more  needful  of  a  soldier's  skill. 
Yet  I  thank  thee,  and  I  will  not  fail  to  remember 
thy  words." 

Whereupon  Merodach  saluted  the  king  and  made 
his  departure. 

David  was  still  waiting,  and  he  and  the  Assyrian 
went  together  toward  the  north.  Their  recent  ad- 
venture had  served  to  remove  all  sense  of  strange- 
ness from  between  them,  and  the  latter  was  espe- 
cially desirous  of  a  better  acquaintance. 

Practically  the  city  was  new  to  them  both.  They 
strolled  along  the  canal  to  the  Great  Square.  They 
admired  together  the  grandeur  of  the  palaces,  the 
bustle  of  the  streets,  and  the  energy  of  the  people. 
By  and  by  Merodach  was  led  to  describe  the  meth- 


48  A  Captain  of  Men 

ods  of  Assyrian  warfare,  and  David  reciprocated 
by  relating  a  thrilling  experience  on  the  hills  of 
Judea.  Becoming  oblivious  of  their  surroundings 
in  a  topic  close  to  the  hearts  of  both,  they  fell  to 
discussing  the  best  way  to  handle  an  army  in  battle. 

"  I  have  heard  of  the  Assyrian  chariots  and  their 
bowmen,"  said  David.  "  And  you  say  that  you 
begin  the  battle  with  your  light  archers.  Yet  it 
seems  to  me  that  a  line  of  slingers  scattered  here 
and  there  would  most  annoy  the  enemy,  as  well 
as  serve  to  discover  the  point  most  open  to  my 
attack." 

"  I  will  look  into  the  matter  of  slingers,"  said 
Merodach.  "  But  after  the  battle  is  set,  what  can 
be  better  than  a  body  of  trained  horsemen  ?  Throw 
out  your  archers,  or,  as  you  suggest,  your  slingers ; 
let  them  harass  the  foe  into  impatience  and  over- 
anxiety  to  strike.  Then  ply  them  with  your  arch- 
ers of  the  line;  charge  them  with  your  chariots, 
and  annihilate  them  with  your  horse.  Or,  if  the 
ground  is  favourable,  strike  them  with  your  cav- 
alry, supported  by  an  advance  of  the  whole  line. 
It  is  worse  than  folly  for  a  general  to  waste  his 
strength  in  unsupported  charges." 

"  I  wish  that  you  were  with  me  to  fight  the  Philis- 
tines. We  have  neither  horsemen  nor  chariots; 
but  there  will  be  plenty  of  good,  hard  blows.  But 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  49 

have  you  noticed  howi  the  sun  shines  on  the  water? 
And  see  how  sea  and  sky  join  one  into  the  other. 
Surely  that  ship  is  like  a  great  bird;  and  the  fra- 
grance of  the  hills  is  passing  sweet." 

"  Wait  a  moment,  and  you  will  smell  the  stink 
of  rotting  shells  and  of  the  dye-vats.  But  what 
think  you  of  the  temple?  These  Sidonians  claim 
that  there  is  none  like  it  in  all  the  world." 

David  let  nothing  of  the  temple's  beauty  escape 
his  regard.  His  eyes  kindled,  he  seemed  to  change, 
to  be  lifted  up  by  the  thoughts  it  gave  him. 

"  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and 
the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork,"  he  said, 
half  to  himself.  "  Is  it  true,  Merodach,  that  all  this 
beauty  of  workmanship  is  but  to  hold  the  stone 
these  people  worship?" 

"  I  have  heard,"  replied  the  other,  "  that  they 
have  their  god  in  a  holy  place,  hidden  by  that  pur- 
ple veil.  They  say  it  is  in  the  likeness  of  a  great 
emerald  which  fell  to  them  from  heaven." 

"  And  this  stone  is  housed  in  a  temple  of  gold 
and  cedar,  is  set  as  a  jewel  in  a  king's  ring;  but 
the  god  of  my  fathers  is  without  a  temple  in  all 
His  earth.  Have  ye  gods  in  Assyria,  Merodach?" 

"  We  have  them  as  the  sea  has  grains  of  sand. 
Our  gods  are  innumerable;  yet  they  are  all  as 
nothing  to  Asshur." 


50  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  And  do  you,  too,  honour  them,  and  build  them 
temples  ?  " 

"  We  have  no  temple  like  this  of  Melkarth.  Only 
the  heavens  can  contain  Asshur  and  our  greatest 
gods,"  said  Merodach,  proudly. 

" '  Only  the  heavens  can  contain,'  —  that  is  a 
great  thought." 

David  bowed  his  head  and  stood  awhile  in  si- 
lence. He  had  a  vision  of  a  great  nation,  a  nation 
of  Israelites,  gathering  year  after  year  to  worship 
God  in  a  temple  built  by  a  king,  none  other  than 
himself.  He  could  almost  hear  the  singing  of  the 
people,  the  clangour  of  the  trumpets.  He  could 
almost  see  the  thousands  of  white-robed  priests, 
the  smoke  of  the  altars,  the  glory  of  the  building. 
If  God  would  let  him  free  Israel  from  the  Philis- 
tines, some  day  he  would  build  a  temple  that  should 
be  the  heart  of  the  nation,  the  dwelling-place  of 
the  only  living  and  true  God. 

Now  all  this  time  Merodach  had  been  studying 
the  personality  of  his  new  acquaintance.  To  say 
the  least,  he  found  the  study  a  puzzling  one.  He 
could  not  decide  whether  David  was  more  boy  than 
man,  or  mpre  man  than  boy.  Now  the  frank  im- 
pulsiveness of  youth  moved  the  Hebrew  to  uncon- 
sidered  speech;  but  just  as  Merodach  had  begun 
to  feel  much  older  and  wiser  than  his  companion, 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  51 

he  was  surprised  by  the  conviction  that  he  was  with 
a  man  of  great  and  powerful  nature.  It  was  as  if 
he  caught  from  time  to  time  glimpses  of  hidden, 
passionate  strength. 

This  uncertainty  of  analysis  had  so  far  prevented 
him  from  asking  of  David  a  certain  question.  The 
Assyrian  could  hide  the  workings  of  a  scheming 
brain  behind  a  mask  of  frankness.  He  felt  that 
his  companion  might  resent  being  questioned;  and 
he  was  convinced  that  it  would  be  a  great  mistake 
to  be  detected  in  anything  of  a  crafty  nature.  Yet, 
after  all,  the  question  was  unworthy  of  this  inward 
discussion;  there  was  no  reason  for  delay  in  ask- 
ing it.  So  he  spoke  with  perfect  openness. 

"  Do  you  know  Miriam,  one  of  your  people,  but 
now  a  slave  in  Tyre  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  I  know  any  in  Tyre,  save 
you  and  the  king."  replied  David,  waking  from  a 
dream  of  what  should  be.  "  Why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Because  you  startled  me  by  your  resemblance 
to  Miriam.  You  speak  and  look  so  like  her  as  to 
fill  me  with  amazement.  She  has  hair  like  yours, 
—  like  bronze  in  sunlight,  —  the  same  eyes  and 
ruddy  skin,  except  the  sunburn.  And  her  voice 
sounds  in  my  ears  when  you  speak  softly." 

"  No,  Merodach,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  your 


52  A   Captain  of  Men 

Miriam.  Yet  I  must  see  her.  Where  may  I  find 
her?" 

"She  is  the  slave  of  Esmun,  who  is  counted  the 
richest  prince  in  Tyre,  and  of  his  daughter  Tanith, 
who  is  said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the 
world.  But  that  is  sailors'  talk.  She  is  as  dark 
as  I." 

"  And  Miriam  is  fair,"  said  David,  slyly.  "  Now 
tell  me  of  yourself,  Merodach.  I  have  thought  that 
you  spoke  more  freely  of  everything  else  than  of 
yourself.  Miriam,  you  say,  is  of  my  people.  You 
are  desirous  of  learning  of  her,  should  I  know  her. 
Therefore  it  is  only  right  that  I  should  know  more 
of  you." 

"  I  am  Merodach-Pileser  of  Assyria.  A  few  days 
ago  I  offended  my  king.  Now)  I  am  a  fugitive  in 
a  strange  country." 

"  Come  with  me  and  I  will  make  you  a  com- 
mander of  men.  You  shall  be  second  only  to  my- 
self." The  fire  left  David's  eyes;  he  paused  an 
instant,  then  continued :  "  I,  too,  am  a  fugitive. 
Saul,  king  of  the  Hebrews,  seeks  my  life.  But  I 
expect  soon  to  help  him  drive  the  Philistines  from 
our  borders.  Come  with  me.  You  are  freed  of 
service  with  your  king.  There  is  need  of  trained 
soldiers  in  Judea." 

"  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  accept  your  offer, 


David,  the  Son  of  Jesse  53 

but  I  thank  you  for  it.  Will  your  way  be  mine, 
down  to  yonder  wharves  ?  " 

"  Not  now,  for  I  wish  to  speak  to  the  dwarf  over 
by  the  golden  column.  I  will  not  keep  you  from 
doing  what  is  in  your  mind.  If  I  learn  anything  of 
Miriam  worth  your  hearing,  I  will  see  you  before 
I  leave  this  place.  May  my  God  bless  you  in  all 
you  do." 

"  May  Asshur  keep  you,"  responded  Merodach ; 
and  they  kissed  each  other  and  parted. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE   ASSYRIAN    BESIEGES   THE    HOUSE   OF   ESMUN 

IT  was  a  new  experience  for  Merodach  to  find 
in  his  heart  the  conviction  that,  in  some  ways,  an- 
other was  greater  than  he.  Yet  somehow  such  was 
the  truth,  and,  stranger  still,  the  proud,  self-suffi- 
cient chieftain  did  not  resent  the  conviction.  He 
even  hesitated  and  thought  of  turning  back  to  ac- 
cept the  offer  just  made  him.  But  Miriam  was  not 
to  be  won  in  Palestine;  and  history  was  saved  the 
necessity  of  recording  Merodach  instead  of  Joab 
as  commander  under  David. 

So,  passing  from  the  more  quiet  precincts  near 
the  temple,  he  reached  the  busier  vicinity  of  the 
canal,  where  he  stopped  a  few  minutes  to  watch  the 
work  on  a  new  building.  There  was  no  chiselling 
to  be  heard,  no  litter  of  broken  stones  to  be  seen. 
Each  stone  had  been  hewn  to  its  proper  dimensions 
before  it  was  taken  from  the  quarry.  The  edifice 
was  being  erected,  as  years  later  the  men  of  Phoe- 

54 


Besieges  the  House  of  Esmun        55 

nicia  built  Solomon's  temple,  without  sound  of 
hammer  or  of  axe. 

All  about  him  was  the  rush  and  clamour  of  busi- 
ness. Streams  of  merchandise  flowed  along-  the 
street  toward  the  warehouses.  Here  swayed  a  line 
of  camels,  just  arrived  from  the  Arabian  desert, 
loaded  with  incense  and  laudanum,  onyx  and  agate. 
There  followed  a  caravan,  from  the  port  of  Aden, 
with  jewels,  spices,  ivory,  and  scented  woods  of 
India.  Side  by  side,  mixed  among  the  camels,  and 
the  cause  of  endless  profanity,  staggered  a  throng 
of  slaves,  bearing  bales  of  transparent  muslin  from 
Egypt,  recently  unloaded  at  the  southern  harbour. 
After  them  came  more  camels,  carrying  the  corded 
cedar  boxes  of  blue  cloth  from  Assyria.  Arabs 
from  Kedar,  Idumaeans  of  Arabia  Petrsea,  sailors, 
men  of  Damascus,  Tarshish,  Egypt,  —  the  whole 
world  seemed  there,  and  its  wealth  and  glory. 

"  By  all  the  gods  of  Asshur !  "  muttered  the  As- 
syrian, too  much  impressed  to  appeal  to  individual 
divinities.  "  If  Esmun  is  the  richest  merchant  in 
Tyre,  who  can  estimate  his  wealth?" 

Just  then  he  saw  a  beautiful  face  in  the  endless 
procession.  And,  possibly,  because  its  owner  was 
fair,  and  in  command  of  a  body  of  porters,  he  asked 
him  if  the  street  led  to  Esmun's  warehouses. 

"  All  streets  lead  to  the  warehouses  of  my  lord," 


56  A   Captain  of  Men 

replied  the  Greek,  for  such  he  was.  "  If  you  wish 
to  see  my  lord,  and  will  come  with  me,  you  will 
presently  be  before  him." 

Merodach  took  him  at  his  word,  and  forgot  his 
personal  interests  for  a  time  in  his  admiration 
of  the  form  and  features  of  Hector,  the  Greek. 
This  captain  of  Assyrian  fighters  was  no  mean  critic, 
and  he  swore  to  himself  that  he  had  never  seen  a 
more  proper  man  than  the  one  now  before  him. 
But  Hector's  connection  with  Esmun  was  more 
impressive  than  his  personal  attractions,  and  Mero- 
dach felt  that  it  might  do  him  no  harm  to  win  a 
friend  employed  by  that  merchant.  So,  plying  here 
a  question,  and  there  a  bit  of  subtle  flattery,  he 
soon  had  him  convinced  that  there  was  no  pleas- 
anter  man  in  Tyre  than  this  Merodach  of  Assyria. 

Thus  engaged  they  passed  through  the  crowded 
thoroughfare,  and  entered  a  spacious  building 
packed  full  of  merchandise.  There  Merodach  was 
introduced  to  its  princely  proprietor. 

At  this  place  it  should  be  understood  that  Mero- 
dach had  negotiated  a  loan  from  his  sailor  friends, 
—  so  inspiring  was  the  atmosphere  of  mercantile 
Tyre,  —  and  he  was  consequently  clad  in  what  had 
been  once  his  own  raiment,  now  borrowed  for  this 
day  only.  He  therefore  presented  an  appearance 
befitting  to  one  in  "  easy  circumstances."  Where- 


Besieges  the   House  of  Esmun       57 

fore  the  merchant  was  extremely  gracious  as  he 
ushered  him  into  a  private  room,  making  inquiry 
as  to  how  he  might  serve  his  distinguished  guest. 
First,  would  he  take  a  taste  of  wine;  Helbon's 
choicest  vintage?  And  had  he  news  from  the  east 
—  or  south  ?  The  merchant  had  been  specially  for- 
tunate in  his  recent  purchases;  no  one  in  Sidonia 
had  so  fine  an  assortment  of  weapons,  and  his  stock 
of  helmets  and  armour  was  simply  unequalled. 
(Esmun  had  instantly  settled  that  his  visitor  was 
an  officer.)  Nothing  could  give  him  more  pleas- 
ure than  to  show  him  some  swords,  the  best  ever 
forged  by  the  Chalybes ;  or  would  he  prefer  to  step 
aboard  the  barge  now  ready  at  the  wharf  ?  It  would 
take  them  but  a  moment  to  see  a  lot  of  horses  just 
in  from  the  desert.  Two  of  them  were  worthy  of 
.royal  owners ;  or  — 

"  I  am  a  stranger  in  your  city,  and  I  desire  some 
office  in  your  service,"  interrupted  Merodach,  with 
winning  assurance  and  ease. 

A  cold  mask  of  reserve  seemed  to  cover  the  mer- 
chant's smiles.  His  suave,  enticing  voice  became 
brusque  and  indifferent. 

"  We  are  accustomed  to  select  men  for  our  serv- 
ice out  of  the  families  of  our  friends.  You  are 
evidently  a  stranger  to  business,  or  you  would  know 
that  we  select  boys  and  train  them  into  efficiency." 


58  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  The  custom  is  truly  a  wise  one,"  agreed  Mero- 
dach,  with  hearty  admiration.  "  Yet  I  have  set 
my  mind  on  devoting  my  time  and  energies  to  the 
service  of  you  alone." 

"  But  I  have  no  use  for  soldiers.  We  merchants 
are  a  peaceful  folk,  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  you 
are  one  accustomed  to  command,  to  the  use  of 
sword  and  spear." 

"  I  have  indeed  been  a  soldier ;  but  man  could 
not  do  better  than  to  work  for  my  lord  Esmun  of 
Tyre." 

"  Possibly  not,"  assented  the  merchant,  still  more 
coldly.  "It  is  not  to  my  advantage  to  discuss  the 
matter.  Not  only  is  it  true  that  I  have  no  place 
for  soldiers,  but  for  any  one  else  as  well." 

"  Far  be  it  from  me  to  attempt  to  argue  on  a 
matter  which  is  altogether  your  own.  There  is, 
then,  no  place  for  me  to-day.  But  to-morrow  is 
soon  here.  Sudden  emergencies  spring  up  from 
day  to  day.  To-morrow  you  might  need  me.  Is 
it  not  the  part  of  wisdom  to  make  it  so  that  I  shall 
be  with  you  to-morrow  ?  " 

Esmun  frowned,  but  his  face  soon  regained  its 
expression  of  trained  reserve,  and  he  said : 

"  Will  you  be  pleased  to  follow  me  ?  " 

Whereupon  Merodach  was  led  through  orderly 
passages,  between  piles  of  merchandise  from  every 


Besieges  the  House  of  Esmun       59 

part  of  the  known  world.  His  opinion  was  asked 
of  this  commodity  and  of  that,  till  he  wearied  of 
trade  exceedingly.  Yet  he  always  smiled,  and  re- 
plied :  "  Indeed,  I  know  nothing  of  this."  And 
each  time  the  merchant  showed  great  surprise,  and 
said :  "  But  you  surely  know  of  this  ?  "  till  Mero- 
dach  longed  to  destroy  the  words  before  they  were 
uttered. 

Through  one  room  and  another  they  went,  till 
they  reached  what  might  be  called  the  office  or 
counting-room.  Here  he  was  shown  papyrus  rolls, 
inventories,  bills  of  sale,  invoices,  orders.  He  was 
examined  concerning  his  knowledge  of  picture- 
writing.  He  displayed  his  ignorance  of  the  Phoe- 
nician alphabet,  of  its  improvement  over  Egyptian, 
Assyrian,  and  every  other  system  of  writing.  Es- 
mun then  began  a  lecture  on  the  moneys  of  the 
world,  showing  how  coin  had  come  to  take  the 
place  of  broken  bits  of  pottery,  until  now  there 
was  the  one  standard  for  business  men,  —  silver 
of  the  standard  of  Carchemish.  And  Merodach 
continued  to  assert  his  ignorance  until  his  throat 
was  dry  with  thirst,  and  his  brain  was  dizzy  with 
repetition. 

"  Suppose  we  end  this  inquisition  into  my  capa- 
bilities, my  lord.  You  have  learned  only  the  one 
thing,  that  I  know  nothing,  absolutely  nothing  of 


60  A  Captain  of  Men 

business  and  trade;  but  I  am  altogether  at  your 
service." 

"  I  cannot  and  will  not  have  you  in  my  employ. 
Let  us  end  this  profitless  discussion  with  another 
taste  of  wine." 

"  I  will  not  drink  of  your  wine  till  I  have  been 
enrolled  in  your  service,"  objected  Merodach, 
sweetly. 

"  May  your  gods  preserve  you  till  then,"  ex- 
claimed Esmun,  piously. 

"  May  Asshur  keep  you  till  I  see  you  to-mor- 
row ; "  and  Merodach  found  himself  out  in  the 
street,  a  defeated  man  —  for  that  once.  The  look 
of  smiling  complacency  left  his  face  so  soon  as  the 
merchant  disappeared  into  his  warehouse.  "  My 
skirmishers  have  been  routed,"  he  muttered.  "  But 
there  are  still  my  chariots  and  my  horsemen  to  be 
put  to  flight.  And  if  he  shall  take  refuge  in  his 
citadel,  I  will  advance  my  corps  of  sappers  and 
miners." 

Nor  was  his  determined  spirit  weakened  by  the 
sight  he  gave  himself  of  the  vessels  at  the  wharf. 
Some,  travel-stained  and  weather-beaten,  were  un- 
loading or  being  refitted  for  another  voyage.  Oth- 
ers were  taking  in  cargoes,  or  were  waiting  while 
the  dens  of  the  city  were  being  searched  for  their 
drunken  crews.  The  scene  was  full  of  interest, 


Besieges  the   House  of  Esmun       6 1 

and  Merodach  spent  the  best  part  of  the  day  watch- 
ing it. 

When  it  became  time  for  the  merchants  to  have 
thought  of  something  besides  business,  he  quitted 
his  post  and  presented  himself,  the  picture  of  cheer- 
ful readiness,  before  Esmun,  who  was  just  starting 
to  keep  an  appointment  with  the  king. 

"  Doubtless  my  lord  Esmun  has  forgotten  the 
stranger  that  visited  him  in  the  morning  hours. 
And  as  it  is  possible  that  my  lord  has  forgotten 
the  reason  of  my  appearance  before  him  then,  I 
have  returned  to  assure  my  lord  of  my  willingness 
to  enter  his  service." 

"  'Tis  again  that  smiling  Assyrian,"  said  the 
merchant  to  Hector,  but  loud  enough  for  Merodach 
to  hear.  "  Tell  him  that  I  have  no  need  of  him, 
that  it  is  folly  for  him  thus  to  weary  me  with  his 
importunity." 

But  when  the  Greek  approached  to  repeat  his 
instructions,  Merodach  prevented  him  by  saying,  in 
a  voice  loud  enough  to  reach  Esmun,  though  with 
a  most  engaging  smile  for  Hector: 

"  You  will  pardon  my  seeming  rudeness,  I  trust ; 
but  you  must  know  that  I  recognize  no  intermedi- 
ary between  your  lord,  the  prince,  and  myself." 
Then  speaking  directly  to  the  merchant,  he  con- 
tinued :  "  I  pray  that  my  lord  Esmun  may  not 


62  A  Captain  of  Men 

consider  me  as  lacking  in  diligence  because  of  my 
present  retirement;  for  certainly  I  will  be  here  in 
the  morning  early  to  see  him.  May  Asshur  pre- 
serve my  lord  till  then." 

Whereat  the  Assyrian  saluted  and  walked  quickly 
away;  nor  did  he  pause  until  he  reached  the  hut 
across  the  causeway.  Hadad  was  absent,  but  Chna 
was  cursing  over  a  smoking  fire,  as  he  prepared 
the  evening  meal.  The  veteran  did  not  so  much 
as  lift  his  head  to  return  his  greeting;  he  merely 
changed  the  object  of  his  objurgations. 

"  Has  the  east  wind  entered  your  bowels,  my 
father  ?  "  Merodach  tenderly  inquired. 

"  Baal-Zebub  have  thee,  and  fatten  on  thy  car- 
cass !  Thy  honied  voice  wearies  me." 

"  Why  are  you  so  soon  back  ?  I  have  never 
known  you  to  be  home  so  early,"  said  Merodach, 
beginning  to  take  off  his  borrowed  clothing. 
"  Here  are  your  garments,  —  unless  you  will  let 
me  have  them  again  in  the  morning?"  This  last 
rather  anxiously. 

"  And  in  the  morning  you'll  curl  your  beard  and 
perfume  your  locks  till  you're  as  sweet-smelling 
and  as  devilish  as  my  lady  Tanith  herself,"  growled 
the  seaman,  as  he  took  the  tunic  and  threw  it  upon 
a  dust-heap  in  the  corner. 

"  It  must  be  the  east  wind,"  said  the  other,  sooth- 


Besieges  the   House  of  Esmun       63 

ingly.  "Hilkah!  Hilkah!  Besha!  Besha!  and 
trouble  no  more  my  father,"  dusting  the  garment 
carefully  and  laying  it  on  a  cleaner  place. 

"  The  waterway  is  finished.  The  water  is  run- 
ning to  the  city  from  the  fountain.  Our  employ- 
ment is  gone  —  Stop  that  infernal  smile,  or  by  — 
by  —  by  —  I'll  stop  it  for  you !  "  stuttered  Chna, 
too  angry  to  find  a  fitting  oath.  "  It's  all  the  work 
of  our  gracious  king,  —  may  an  evil  one  prey  on 
his  vitals!  I,  Chna,  I,  the  seaman  who  was  cradled 
in  a  storm  and  was  suckled  at  the  breasts  of  the 
billows,  —  I  would  not  lift  a  finger  to  drive  away 
the  buzzards  from  picking  his  eyes.  May  the  flies 
crawl  over  and  devour  him !  I  have  lived  for  ages. 
I  am  an  old  worn-out  dog,  with  broken  teeth  and 
bones  to  gnaw,  —  and  the  king  removes  my  bones. 
And  the  rich,  the  merchants  and  the  captains,  lift 
their  hands  and  shout,  '  Oh,  the  wonderful  king ! ' 
And  the  women  turn  up  their  eyes  under  their 
painted  lids,  and  lisp,  'Oh,  the  wonderful  king!' 
Oh,  the  dear  king!  the  sweet  king!  the  progress- 
ive king!  I'm  sick  of  the  brat,  and  his  prog- 
ress!" 

"  But  the  king  might  —  " 

"  By  the  clubs  of  the  Eight  Cabirim !  you  are 
still  talking!  When  you're  not  smiling,  you're 
talking.  The  gods  gave  you  words  in  place  of 


64  A  Captain  of  Men 

wisdom,  —  yes ;  wear  the  tunic,  you  naked  As- 
syrian, you  —  " 

"  Peace,  Chna,"  commanded  Merodach,  but  lay- 
ing a  caressing  hand  on  the  veteran's  shoulder. 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  groaned  he,  becoming 
suddenly  submissive.  "  How  shall  we  now  get  us 
food,  my  son?  We  have  made  you  welcome;  we 
have  not  begrudged  you  food  and  shelter.  How 
can  we  point  to  the  door  and  say,  Depart,  we  are 
become  beggars,  we  cannot  have  you  with  us?" 

"  Think  not  of  me,  old  friend,"  cried  Merodach, 
moved  by  the  look  in  the  old  man's  face.  "  The 
sun  rises  out  of  the  blackest  night." 

"  So  do  the  storm-clouds,"  retorted  Chna,  but 
soothed  in  spite  of  himself. 

At  this  moment  Hadad  entered  the  hut  like  a 
whirlwind. 

"  Turn  your  barley  broth  out  into  the  fire !  "  he 
gaily  cried.  "  I'm  yet  two  parts  sober,  but,  by  the 
silver  horns  of  Ashtoreth!  'twill  not  be  for  long. 
Rinse  out  the  cups,  old  man;  here's  a  full  skin  of 
wine.  And  here's  to  Hiram,  our  gracious  king !  " 

"  You  are  late,  Hadad,"  laughed  Merodach. 
"  Your  tempestuous  partner  has  but  this  instant 
finished  cursing  the  king.  But  I  am  peaceful  and 
curious.  Why  shall  we  honour  the  king  ?  " 

"  Tell  that  old  grumbler  Chna  that  the  water 


Besieges  the  House  of  Esmun       65 

now  runs  through  the  aqueduct,  and  that  our  occu- 
pation is  gone." 

Chna  cursed  the  aqueduct  for  carrying  the  water, 
and  Hadad  for  carrying  the  news. 

"  Tell  him  that  the  new  temple  is  now  almost 
completed." 

Chna  cursed  the  new  temple,  the  king  who  or- 
dered its  construction,  the  architect  who  planned 
it,  and  the  builders  who  erected  it.  For  more  than 
a  thousand  years  the  old  temple  had  served  to 
please  the  god  of  Tyre.  What  need  had  they  of 
a  new  one? 

"Tell  the  pitiful  old  wretch  that  Hiram,  the 
dwarf,  will  soon  have  finished  the  most  wonderful 
image  of  Baal-Moloch  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
I've  been  to  see  the  wenches  —  " 

"  You're  drunk,  Hadad,"  interrupted  Chna,  but 
drawing  nearer  while  he  spoke. 

"  Only  two-thirds  drunk ;  I've  saved  the  other 
third  to  finish  with  you  to-night.  The  wenches 
declare  that  the  king  is  only  waiting  the  completion 
of  the  image  to  give  us  the  grandest  festival  man 
has  ever  seen.  He  has  invented  one  entirely  new 
to  celebrate  the  glory  of  his  improvements.  Al- 
ready he  has  promises  of  enough  children  to  keep 
Baal-Moloch  scorching  hot  all  night  long." 


66  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  Children  of  slaves !  Children  of  the  poor !  " 
cried  Chna,  scornfully. 

"  Yes,  mostly,"  assented  Hadad,  in  a  regretful 
voice.  "  Mostly  slaves ;  yet  they  claim  that  we'll 
have  a  few  citizens  who  will  offer  their  very  own." 

"Poor  citizens!"  sniffed  Chna;  "always  the 
poor.  But  the  day  will  come  when  Baal-Moloch 
will  tire  of  such  offerings.  May  I  be  spared  to 
see  it  come,"  he  ended,  piously. 

"  And  they  say  the  priestesses  are  promising 
great  things,  —  new  tents,  new  booths,  oceans  of 
wine.  The  wenches  say  that  Ashtoreth  herself  will 
be  compelled  to  come  to  us  that  night.  And  there 
will  be  crowds  from  all  up  and  down  the  coast; 
Sidonia's  best  and  fairest." 

"  But  you  must  have  more  to  tell  us  of  the  king. 
Why  should  we  drink  to  him  ?  "  asked  Merodach. 

"May  Ashtoreth  take  him  with  her!"  growled 
Chna. 

"  And  doubtless  she  will,"  assented  Hadad. 
"  Now  listen  to  the  marrow  of  my  story :  I  met  the 
king  to-day,  and  he  said,  '  Thou  art  Hadad,  the 
water-carrier  — ' 

"  Lies!   Hadad,  naught  but  lies!  " 

"  I  said,  '  Yea,  my  lord  the  king  — '  " 

"Lies!  By  the  flies  of  Baal-Zebub!  the  truth 
is  not  in  you." 


Besieges  the  House  of  Esmun       67 

" '  And  doth  thy  partner,  Chna,  that  best  of 
seamen,  yet  live?'  inquired  the  king." 

"  Sit  down,  Hadad ;  tell  me  that  again,  for  my 
ears  are  getting  old  and  slow  of  hearing.  I  may 
be  mistaken.  Did  the  king  remember  so  well? 
Surely  I  was  mistaken.  Do  you  remember  how 
I  said,  just  a  day  or  two  ago,  that  there  was  the 
making  of  a  good  sailor  in  the  young  king?  " 

"  Lies !   naught  but  lies,  Chna." 

"  I  tell  you  I  did,  Hadad.  You  sat  there  where 
the  Assyrian  now  sits.  You  were  belittling  the 
king,  and  I  rebuked  you.  It  is  true  that  he  is  quite 
young;  but  I  said  then,  as  I  say  now,  that  a  few 
more  years  and  a  few  more  voyages  will  make  our 
king  the  equal  of  any  sailor  on  the  coast." 

"  Hear  the  gray-headed  old  reprobate  lie !  Now 
listen,  you  hypocritical  old  grumbler.  I  spoke  to 
the  king,  or  better,  the  king  spoke  to  me,  and  prom- 
ised this  very  day  that  every  water-carrier  shall 
be  paid,  by  him,  the  value  of  his  interests  in  busi- 
ness five  times  over." 

"  I  always  declared  there  was  none  like  our 
king,"  exclaimed  Chna,  kicking  over  the  broth,  and 
seizing  the  wine-skin. 

"  And  that  is  not  all.  The  king  declared,  also, 
that  water-carriers  past  the  age  of  sixty  shall  from 
to-day  receive  a  life-pension  equal  to  the  income 


68  A   Captain  of  Men 

that  carrier  had  till  now  received  each  year  from 
his  business." 

"  By  the  Seven  Cabirim !  who  ever  heard  of  such 
a  king!"  shouted  Chna.  "By  the  gold  of  Tar- 
shish!  my  fortune  is  made.  I  will  lie  all  day 
in  the  sun;  I  will  buy  a  slave  to  do  nothing  but 
fan  me  of  flies;  I  will  eat  four  meals  a  day  and 
grow  fat  with  contentment.  Oh,  the  most  worthy 
young  king!  the  generous  king!  Why  are  you 
still  standing,  Hadad?  The  time  has  come  to  be 
merry." 

"  Where  now  are  all  thy  curses  ?  " 

"  Curses  ?  Not  a  curse  has  left  my  lips  to-day. 
You  were  with  me  before  he  came;  tell  me,  Mero- 
dach,  my  son,  did  I  curse  since  you  were  here  ?  " 

"  They  had  the  sound  of  curses,"  said  Merodach, 
softly.  "  But  the  day  is  hot,  and  it  may  be  that 
I  grew  drowsy  and  dreamed  you  cursed." 

"  You  were  surely  dreaming,  my  son.  Behold, 
it  is  as  I  said.  That  tunic  and  those  garments 
of  thine  are  useless  to  me.  Keep  them  all,  my 
son." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE   STORY   OF    MIRIAM 

TIGLATH  -  PILESER,  like  Nimrod,  "  the  mighty 
hunter  before  the  Lord,"  was  a  man  of  gigantic 
stature.  Merodach  remembered  his  grandfather 
well,  and  he  often  recalled  the  time  when  the  old, 
old  warrior  had  drawn  him  between  his  knees,  and 
said : 

"  Son  of  my  son,  thou  art  now  a  heedless,  for- 
getful child,  but  thou  art  from  the  loins  of  kings. 
And  I,  thy  father's  father,  am  very  old.  Yet  be- 
cause I  am  old,  I  have  learned  many  things.  I 
have  learned  that  intemperance  is  not  for  kings 
who  would  conquer  and  rule.  Conquer  and  rule 
thyself  as  thou  wouldst  an  adjoining  kingdom. 
The  temperate  king  is  as  a  god  among  the  drunken ; 
their  secrets  are  his;  their  power  is  his.  Even 
Asshur  cannot  prevent  foolish  words  from  a  drunk- 
ard's lips,  or  foolish  deeds  in  a  drunkard's  life. 

"  There  are  two  leaks  which  let  out  greatness : 
69 


70  A  Captain  of  Men 

the  love  of  strong  wine,  and  the  love  of  a  woman 
who  knows  that  she  is  beautiful. 

"  Son  of  my  son,  canst  thou  remember  this  wis- 
dom which  has  been  taught  me  by  Asshur,  and  a 
life  of  many  days  and  many  triumphs?" 

Then  the  old  lion  had  dismissed  him  to  the 
women,  and  was  soon  passed  away.  But  his  words 
had  sunk  deep  into  the  heart  of  his  grandson,  and 
were  never  forgotten. 

Thus  it  was  that  Merodach  awoke  clear-eyed 
and  refreshed  that  following  morning,  while  Hadad 
and  Chna  snored  in  sodden  sleep  after  their  rev- 
elry. As  Chna  had  prophesied,  he  curled  his  beard, 
cleansed  and  perfumed  himself,  and  went  out  again 
on  his  campaign  against  the  house  of  Esmun. 

As  may  be  remembered,  the  merchant  had  not 
been  charmed  by  the  expectation  of  seeing  him 
again.  He  was  annoyed  by  the  persistency  Mero- 
dach had  shown,  and  he  commanded  Hector  not 
to  admit  him,  but  to  say  that  his  employer  would 
be  absent  from  the  warehouse  all  that  day.  This 
would  be  quite  untrue,  as  Esmun  was  too  much 
worried  by  the  non-appearance  of  his  cargp  of  tin 
to  be  kept  from  watching  for  it  daily. 

Hector  was  sorry  to  be  so  commanded,  having 
fallen  an  easy  victim  to  the  Assyrian's  tongue.  Yet 
no  one  could  have  doubted  his  sincerity  when  he 


The  Story  of  Miriam  71 

protested  that  Esmun  would  not  be  at  the  ware- 
house. 

"  Then  I  will  place  myself  at  your  disposal,  so 
that  I  may  learn  something  of  value  to  my  lord 
Esmun,  when  he  shall  accept  of  my  services,"  re- 
plied the  calm  Assyrian. 

For  at  least  once  in  his  life,  the  Greek  found 
himself  lacking1  in  invention.  Nor  was  his  anxi- 
ety lessened  by  the  sight  of  Merodach  eating  his 
barley  cake  at  the  noon  hour,  when  Esmun  had 
promised  to  return.  All  through  the  morning 
Hector  had  been  amazed  by  the  adaptability  and 
the  iron  persistency  of  his  self-constituted  pupil 
and  tormentor.  And  he  was  doubly  surprised  by 
his  calmness  when  they  found  themselves  under 
the  angry  eyes  of  the  prince. 

"  Did  I  not  straitly  forbid  you  to  receive  this 
man,  under  any  circumstances  ?  " 

"  Your  command  has  been  obeyed  to  the  extent 
of  falsehood,"  replied  Merodach  before  Hector 
could  frame  an  excuse.  "  Three  times  beyond  a 
score  Hector  has  assured  me  that  you  had  no  wish 
to  see  me;  and  three  times  beyond  a  score  I  have 
assured  Hector  of  my  purpose  to  remain  here  until 
your  return.  And  he  has  always  most  stubbornly 
asserted  that  you  would  not  be  here  to-day.  There- 


72  A   Captain  of  Men 

fore  I  am  doubly  glad  to  give  you  my  greeting; 
for  truly  you  are  here." 

"  By  Melkarth !  I  am  surely  here.  Throw  this 
Assyrian  fool  into  the  street !  " 

Several  stout  slaves  were  standing  near  the  door 
of  the  office.  Hector  dropped  his  half-eaten  lunch- 
eon to  the  floor,  and  would  have  summoned  them, 
but  Merodach  stopped  him  with  a  look. 

"  There  is  no  keener  knife  in  all  Tyre  than  this 
weapon  in  my  girdle,"  said  the  latter,  lowering  his 
voice  to  prevent  scandal.  "  I  am,  in  a  measure, 
alone  and  in  your  power.  It  is  true  that  I  may, 
in  the  end,  be  thrown  into  the  street;  but  first  I 
will  slay  my  lord  Esmun,  and  then  so  many  of 
his  slaves  as  Asshur  may  permit  me." 

"  Leave  me  alone  with  this  man,  Hector."  Then, 
after  his  command  had  been  obeyed,  the  merchant 
continued :  "  My  death  would  not  further  your 
desires.  Why  are  you  resolved  to  pester  me  be- 
yond my  patience  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  suffer  indignity  at  the  hands 
of  your  slaves,  nor  to  thwart  my  desire  by  means 
of  your  death.  But  the  latter  is  preferable.  I  am 
one  that  could  well  serve  a  master  of  my  own 
choosing,  or  fight  relentlessly  one  that  had  caused 
me  injury.  I  am  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land.  I 
would  connect  myself  with  none  but  its  greatest." 


The  Story  of  Miriam  73 

"  There  is  then  Hiram,  the  king." 

"  I  count  even  the  king  beneath  Esmun,  the 
merchant." 

"  But  what  can  you  do  for  me?  If  it  is  true 
that  I  am  the  greatest  in  Tyre,  I  have  right  to 
none  but  the  best  of  service." 

"  Whatever  my  lord  may  set  me  to  do.  The 
body  requires  food  and  raiment;  provide  it  them, 
and  I  shall  be  satisfied  with  the  wisdom  which  will 
direct  its  service.  A  great  man  cannot  fail  to  select 
wisely;  a  successful  commander  never  fails  of  us- 
ing well  a  competent  lieutenant." 

"  I  have  need  of  one  to  tend  my  fish-ponds,  to 
clean  my  grounds,  to  do  the  work  of  a  slave  about 
one  of  my  houses.  There  is  never  lack  of  food 
or  raiment  in  my  household;  but  the  work  is,  as 
I  said,  the  work  of  a  slave." 

"  Whenever  my  lord  Esmun  says  the  word,  I  am 
ready  to  take  up  my  new  duties." 

"  But  this  is  the  purest  folly.  You  are  a  man 
of  authority;  you  were  the  best  officer  in  the  As- 
syrian host,  for  I  know  you,  Merodach.  It  may 
even  be  possible  that  your  quarrel  with  your  king 
was  acted  for  a  part;  that  you  were  left  here  as 
a  spy.  It  were  then  a  crime  for  me  to  hire  you 
in  any  capacity." 

"  There  is  truly  nothing  but  enmity  between  me 


74  A  Captain  of  Men 

and  Asshur-ab-aram.  I  will  pay  you  loyal  service 
so  long  as  I  eat  at  your  table  and  am  clothed  by 
your  bounty." 

"  I  may  regret  having  ever  met  you,  but  I  will 
try  you  for  a  season,  Merodach.  Hector,  the  Greek, 
will  give  you  a  writing  of  instructions  for  Miriam, 
my -daughter's  slave,  and  the  head  of  my  house 
where  you  shall  be.  Whatever  Miriam  tells  you 
shall  be  as  from  me,  or  from  my  daughter,  the  lady 
Tanith.  You  are  now  become  one  of  my  household. 
If  your  obedience  is  as  your  persistence,  there  may 
be  promotion  even  for  one  doing  the  work  of  a 
slave.  Of  a  truth,  your  perseverance  has  been  as 
commendable  as  your  methods  have  been  unu- 
sual." 

"  It  may  not  be  amiss  for  my  lord  Esmun  to 
make  inquiries  of  the  king  concerning  my  loyalty 
and  truth.  If  the  king  has  not  forgotten  his  words 
of  yesterday,  he  will  speak  well  of  me." 

"  Of  Hiram  ?  Why  have  you  till  now  kept  silent 
about  your  friendship  with  the  king?" 

"  Because  I  had  no  wish  to  be  accepted  only  for 
the  sake  of  the  king.  A  beautiful  cup  is  no  proof 
of  the  excellence  of  the  wine." 

The  merchant  fell  into  a  reverie  and  was  silent 
for  many  minutes.  Finally  he  summoned  his  sec- 
retary, and  had  him  prepare  a  roll  of  papyrus  for 


The  Story  of  Miriam  75 

Miriam,  and  Merodach  was  sent  to  work  under 
the  authority  of  the  woman  he  had  saved  from 
violence. 

"  Surely  the  gods  of  Assyria  are  greater  than  the 
gods  of  Sidonia,"  he  said  joyfully  to  himself,  as 
he  walked  along  the  causeway  to  the  mainland. 
"  For  the  battle  with  the  house  of  Esmun  is  already 
becoming  a  victory." 

He  found  Chna  sunning  himself  behind  his  hut. 
Thanking  him  for  his  kindness,  he  bade  him  and, 
through  him,  Hadad,  farewell  for  a  season.  After- 
ward it  was  not  long  ere  he  was  standing  before 
Miriam. 

"  I  have  greeting  for  you,  Miriam,  and  here  is 
the  writing  which  was  given  me  for  you  by  my 
lord  Esmun." 

"  The  lord  Esmun  is  but  a  merchant  of  Tyre. 
What  right  has  he  to  send  you,  the  commander  .of 
Assyrian  warriors,  on  his  errands?  Who  is  there 
but  the  King  of  Assyria  worthy  to  command  Mero- 
dach?" 

"Nay,  Miriam;  I  am  now  the  lowliest  servant 
in  your  employ.  Read  quickly  the  message  I 
brought  you  —  or  send  for  a  scribe  —  that  you  may 
understand  your  master's  will,  and  that  I  may  begin 
my  work." 

Miriam  hastily  unrolled  the  scroll,  read  it,  and 


76  A  Captain  of  Men 

stood  gazing  in  inexpressible  bewilderment  at  the 
grave  face  before  her.  Once  more  she  read  the 
scroll,  utterly  unable  to  comprehend  that  it  could 
apply  to  the  man  who  had  brought  it. 

"  It  is  undoubtedly  the  writing  of  Hector,  Lord 
Esmun's  secretary;  and  I  am  instructed  by  it  to 
direct  thy  work.  But  O  my  lord  Merodach!  art 
thou  not  in  a  plot  to  make  sport  of  me?  " 

"  By  Shammus  and  by  Ishtar !  no,"  exclaimed 
he,  full  of  earnestness.  "  I  have  angered  my  king ; 
I  am  a  fugitive  from  his  wrath.  I  have  obtained 
service  of  your  lord,  and  I  am  here  to  serve  you 
faithfully,  —  for  it  is  truly  you  only  that  I  serve." 

"  But  why  are  you  here  to  serve  me  ?  You  are 
one  born  to  command;  you  are  fitted  to  lead  men. 
I  am  only  a  woman;  how  am  I  to  tell  you  what 
to  do?" 

"  What  are  the  instructions  of  my  lord  ?  " 

"  That  you  are  to  attend  to  the  fish-ponds,  to  care 
for  the  grounds." 

"  Under  whose  instructions  ?  I  have  indeed 
commanded  men,  and  I  have  always  been  careful 
to  see  that  they  obeyed  the  slightest  command. 
Under  whose  instructions  am  I  placed  ?  " 

"  Under  mine,  but  —  " 

"  Then  you  must  quickly  direct  me.     There  is 


The  Story  of  Miriam  77 

much  to  be  done.  Is  not  yonder  a  hoe,  and  near 
it  a  spade  ?  " 

"Yes,  but  —  " 

Merodach  left  her,  picked  up  the  hoe,  and  began 
to  trim  the  overgrown  edges  of  the  path.  "  Doubt- 
less my  lord  will  inquire  of  you  to-night  how  much 
the  new  gardener  has  done.  I  would  not  have  you 
blush  for  the  sloth  of  your  servant." 

Miriam  blushed  deeply  at  the  look  he  gave  her. 
She  was  troubled  by  his  presence  as  a  servant,  but 
she  was  fascinated  by  the  power  of  his  great  arms, 
the  ease  of  his  movements. 

"  You  are  very  strong,  Merodach,  you  are  a 
lion  in  your  strength,"  she  said  below  her  breath; 
then  left  him  for  fear  of  herself. 

His  fellow  servants  stared  curiously  at  him  when 
he  joined  them  in  the  noontime  meal.  The  re- 
straint and  daintiness  of  his  eating  annoyed  them. 
But  he  controlled  and  curbed  his  pride,  and  made 
them  feel  that  he  was  only  their  comrade  in  labour, 
until  they  lost  their  distrust  and  forgot  thftr  sus- 
picions. 

Often,  during  the  morning,  Miriam  had  peeped 
at  him  through  the  lattices,  always  to  find  him 
working  as  though  his  life  depended  on  her  ap- 
proval. Thoughts  of  what  might  be  fluttered  her 
heart,  and  the  blood  was  very  warm  in  her  veins. 


78  A  Captain  of  Men 

Yet  when  she  gave  him  directions  for  the  after- 
noon, she  could  not  meet  his  eye.  Yet  she  rejoiced 
in  her  timidity,  for  she  was  glad  to  feel  that  he 
was  still  her  lord. 

About  an  hour  later,  Merodach  heard  voices, 
and  saw  David,  the  Hebrew,  walking  with  Miriam 
toward  him.  They  passed  him,  talking  earnestly, 
while  he  bowed  his  head  to  escape  recognition.  He 
heard  David  say,  "  Hiram  of  the  Sidonians  gave 
me  a  writing  to  Esmun,  and  I  have  been  given 
permission  to  come  to  you.  I  have  been  told  that 
you  are  one  of  my  people."  They  passed  on  and 
entered  the  summer-house  near  by,  and  their  words 
failed  longer  to  reach  him. 

Miriam  was  glad  to  hear  the  accents  of  her  child- 
hood's tongue.  They  filled  her  with  sweet  and 
bitter  memories. 

"  My  mother  was  captured  by  the  Phoenicians," 
she  said,  when  they  were  seated  in  the  pleasant 
shade.  "  She  was  taken  with  me,  for  they  killed 
my  father.  I  was  very  young  then ;  there  was  only 
a  year  between  me  and  my  sister  Ruth,  and  she 
was  just  turned  six." 

"  And  where  is  your  sister  Ruth  ?  "  asked  David, 
gazing  curiously  at  this  feminine  counterpart  of 
himself.  "  Merodach  was  surely  right  when  he 
said  that  she  was  like  me,"  he  said  to  himself. 


The  Story  of  Miriam  79 

His  question  brought  a  look  of  anguish  to  Miri- 
am's face.  "  Ruth  was  six  and  I  was  seven  when 
we  were  playing  by  our  house.  We  were  some 
distance  from  the  seashore;  but  a  party  of  sailors 
had  landed  to  find  children,  and  they  stole  us. 
They  brought  us  here  and  sold  us  to  my  lord  Es- 
mun.  There  was  a  famine  in  the  land,  and  the 
rich  were  eagerly  buying  young  children." 

"  That  seems  strange.  Why  should  they  en- 
cumber themselves  with  slaves  as  young  as  you?  ' 

"  Ah,  my  lord,  you  are  truly  a  stranger  in  this 
fearful  land.  They  offer  their  children  in  sacri- 
fice to  their  god  Moloch,  when  the  sun  has  parched 
their  fields.  A  great  sacrifice  had  been  declared, 
and  some  of  the  highest  in  Tyre  had  been  called 
upon  to  propitiate  Baal-Moloch  by  offering  their 
first-born.  None  might  escape  the  call  when  chosen 
by  lot.  But  the  rich  bought,  or  secured,  children  to 
give  instead  of  their  own.  My  lord  was  so  chosen. 
Ruth  was  dark  of  hair  —  just  the  size  of  his  daugh- 
ter Tanith  —  and  Ruth  —  my  little  Ruth  was 
burned  to  save  the  life  of  Tanith,  my  mistress. 
She  was  so  gladsome  a  child,  so  lovable,  —  and 
I  saw  her  in  the  monster's  arms.  O  Ruth!  my 
sister  Ruth !  " 

Tears  fell  from  David's  eyes  and  ran  down  his 
cheeks  for  mingled  wrath  and  pity.  First  he  tried 


8o  A  Captain  of  Men 

to  comfort  Miriam;  but  his  rage  increased  till  he 
could  not  speak.  Miriam  caught  his  spirit,  and 
their  faces  grew  more  strangely  alike  as  fire  an- 
swering flame. 

"  May  our  God  confound  them  and  destroy  them, 
root  and  branch.  I  will  see  the  king.  I  will  de- 
mand vengeance.  God  do  so  to  me,  and  more,  if 
there  be  one  of  the  house  of  Esmun  left  to  see 
to-morrow's  sun,"  cried  David,  sternly.  "  I  will 
demand  of  Hiram  your  freedom.  This  night  I 
will  take  you  with  me  to  your  own  kindred,  — 
after  I  have  brought  vengeance  on  Esmun  and 
Tanith." 

That  moment  Miriam  raised  her  eyes  and  saw 
Merodach  still  at  work  with  his  hoe.  If  she  went 
with  David,  there  would  be  an  end  of  seeing  him. 
The  thought  startled  her;  love  drove  out  anger, 
and  she  said,  timidly: 

"  My  lord  Esmun  has  been  kind  to  me  since  then. 
He  has  seemed  eager  to  make  me  forget  the  past; 
and  I  have  learned  to  think  kindly  of  him." 

"  But  you  would  not  stay  here  a  slave  ?  " 

"  Just  for  a  little  while,"  said  Miriam,  looking 
wistfully  at  Merodach.  "  A  little  later  I  may  wish 
to  accept  your  offer,  but  there  are  some  things 
which  —  which  make  it  seem  better  for  me  to  re- 
main a  little  longer  in  Tyre." 


The  Story  of  Miriam  8 1 

Also  David  on  his  part  had  begun  to  think.  He 
was  wrong  to  forget  the  affairs  of  his  people  in 
the  sorrows  of  one.  The  time  had  not  yet  come 
for  him  to  champion  the  afflicted,  and  he  was  re- 
lieved when  Miriam  refused  his  help.  By  and  by 
he  remembered  what  Merodach  had  said  about  his 
resemblance  to  Miriam. 

"  You  alone  have  the  right  to  decide  whether 
to  go  or  stay,"  he  said,  wondering  at  her  choice. 
"  But  after  I  am  gone,  should  the  time  come  when 
you  need  my  help,  let  me  know,  and  I  will  give 
you  instant  assistance.  Now  tell  me  of  your  kin- 
dred, so  that  I  may  make  inquiries  about  them  on 
my  return." 

"  I  am  of  the  tribe  of  Judah." 

"  I,  also,  am  of  the  tribe  of  Judah ;  and  thy  kin- 
dred?" 

"  My  mother  was  Ruth,  —  I  did  not  tell  you  that 
mother  died  of  sorrow  for  our  little  Ruth.  My 
mother  was  Ruth,  the  descendant  of  Boaz  and  of 
Ruth,  the  Moabitess." 

"  As  God  liveth,  thy  mother  was  Ruth,  the  sister 
of  Jesse;  and  Jesse  is  my  father,  and  thou  art  my 
cousin,  Miriam." 

"  And  can  it  be  possible  that  you  are  that  David, 
the  son  of  Jesse,  who  slew  the  thousand  —  the  tens 
of  thousands  of  Philistines?  Even  here  in  Tyre 


82  A   Captain  of  Men 

they  sang  of  your  mighty  deeds ;  and  when  I  heard 
them  I  rejoiced  in  my  kinship  with  you.  But  I 
have  always  pictured  you  to  myself  as  being  great 
in  stature,  terrible  to  look  upon.  Yet  you  are  slight 
and  comely,  —  and  how  young  you  are !  " 

"  Yet  young  as  I  am,  I  am  older  than  Hiram, 
your  great  king." 

"  And  to  think  that  you  are  my  cousin,"  cried 
Miriam,  happily,  yet  with  tear-dimmed  eyes.  At 
which  David  kissed  her,  and  vowed  again  to  re- 
move her  from  that  den  of  wickedness.  And 
Miriam  found  it  very  difficult  now  to  move  him 
from  his  purpose,  but  she  finally  prevailed  upon 
him. 

"  It  would  be  no  little  matter  for  me  to  find  for 
you  a  peaceful  spot  in  all  Palestine,"  he  admitted 
in  the  end.  "  And  I  am  now  a  wanderer,  for  Saul, 
the  king,  is  continually  seeking  my  life." 

He  told  Miriam  how  Samuel  had  come  to  him  in 
his  youth,  and  had  anointed  him  with  the  holy 
oil.  He  spoke  of  his  battles,  of  the  king's  dark 
moods,  and  of  his  days  and  nights  in  the  hills,  a 
fugitive  from  Saul's  wrath.  When  she  asked  him 
why  he  did  not  kill  the  king,  he  told  her  of  the 
night  in  the  cave,  of  his  purpose  to  leave  the  out- 
come in  the  hands  of  God. 

This  strange  meeting  with  an  unknown  relative 


The  Story  of  Miriam  83 

had  unlocked  the  inner  chambers  of  David's  heart, 
and  her  quick  sympathy  impelled  him  to  speak 
of  his  dreams  and  aspirations.  He  did  not  know 
how  it  was  to  come,  but  some  day  he  was  to  be 
King  of  Israel.  Some  day  he  should  drive  the 
Philistines  from  his  land,  and  there  should  be  peace. 

From  this  their  communion  glided  into  remi- 
niscences, and  he  recalled  his  boyhood  days,  when 
he  had  kept  his  father's  sheep.  That  was  when  the 
lion  and  the  bear  had  taught  him  that  God  was  with 
him.  He  also  described  the  nights  when  he  sat 
before  the  camp-fire,  and  dreamed  beneath  the  stars. 
God  had  seemed  nearer  to  him  then  than  during 
these  latter  years  of  trial  and  disappointment. 
But  God  must  be  always  the  same,  "  and  He  will 
keep  me,"  he  said,  "  even  as  I  tended  the  sheep. 
The  Lord,  He  is  my  Shepherd." 

Even  as  he  spoke,  the  mystery  of  inspiration  filled 
his  heart.  He  forgot  Miriam,  his  surroundings, 
everything  but  the  thoughts  which  changed  and 
beautified  themselves  till  they  became  the  soul  of 
living  words.  Miriam  never  forgot  the  comfort 
and  peace  that  seemed  to  rest  within  her  as  he  said : 

"  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd, 
I  shall  not  want," 

and  all  her  fears  left  her  as  he  declared: 


84  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art 
with  me." 

"  Your  words  are  as  the  shouts  of  victory  after 
a  terrible  battle,"  she  said,  a  long  time  after  David 
had  finished.  "  Is  God  indeed  so  mindful  of  us  ? 
The  gods  of  Sidonia  are  fearful  and  very  cruel. 
Can  a  god  be  tender,  as  you  were  with  your  sheep  ? 
The  heavens  have  seemed  far  off  till  now.  You 
have  given  me  strength  to  remain  here  alone;  for 
it  may  be  that  the  God  of  our  fathers  will  keep 
me.  You  will  surely  come  again  to  me  before  you 
leave.  And  perhaps  you  will  even  play  to  me  on 
the  harp,  as  you  did  before  Saul,  and  drive  away 
the  evil  spirit  that  is  sometimes  strong  within  me?  " 

"  I  will  come  again,  and  I  will  play  to  you  on 
the  harp.  It  has  been  pleasant  to  meet  you,  my 
cousin.  May  the  God  of  Abraham  protect  thee 
until  I  may  shield  thee  from  harm." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

A   VISIT    FROM    "  MY   LADY   TANITH  " 

HECTOR,  the  Greek,  ever  affirmed  that  there  was 
more  work  done  at  the  warehouse  when  Tanith 
was  there  than  at  any  other  time.  She  was  keener 
to  detect  carelessness  than  Esmun  himself.  He 
declared  that  she  knew  where  everything1  was 
stored,  that  she  could  give  an  inventory  of  mer- 
chandise in  the  warehouses  and  on  the  way,  and 
that  she  had  the  gift  of  selection.  In  fact  he  was 
accustomed  to  assert  to  Hiram,  the  dwarf,  at  least 
once  in  every  week,  that  Tanith  was  the  best  mer- 
chant in  Tyre,  —  therefore  in  the  world.  She  had 
travelled  with  caravans  over  both  the  northern  and 
the  southern  routes.  Once  she  had  been  to  Tar- 
shish,  twice  to  Egypt.  Every  one  knew  that  the 
lord  Esmun  made  it  a  practice  to  consult  with  her, 
that  he  confided  in  her,  and  considered  his  daugh- 
ter as  being  second  only  to  himself  in  business 
ability. 

85 


86  A  Captain  of  Men 

And  once  in  every  week  Hiram,  the  dwarf,  as- 
sented to  these  assertions,  and  took  occasion  to 
suggest,  as  commentary,  that  more  men  hated  or 
loved  Tanith  than  was  true  of  any  other  woman 
in  the  world.  He  therefore  deemed  it  an  admirable 
thing  for  a  thinking  man  to  know  such  a  woman. 
He  was  also  given  to  the  statement  —  which  Hec- 
tor always  stoutly  denied  —  that  Tanith  loved  more 
men  than  did  any  other  woman  in  the  world;  an- 
other most  admirable  thing  for  a  thinking  man  to 
observe. 

However,  passing  from  the  discussions  of  these 
two  friends  to  their  subject,  it  should  be  narrated 
that  Esmun  spoke  to  his  daughter  of  Merodach 
and  his  irresistible  persistency.  He  had  even  been 
frank  to  admit  that  he  had  entertained  fears  of 
sudden  death  until  he  had  recollected  that  Miriam 
wanted  a  slave  to  take  care  of  the  grounds. 

"  But  was  not  his  acceptance  of  such  labour  in 
itself  a  suspicious  thing?"  asked  Tanith,  as  they 
talked  together  in  their  island  palace. 

"  That  is  the  very  question  I  asked  myself,  and 
hinted  to  him,"  responded  her  father,  watching  her 
inscrutable  face. 

"  Did  he  protest  overmuch  ?  or  was  his  answer 
simple  and  straightforward  ?  " 

"  So  very  straightforward  as  to  make  me  believe 


A  Visit  from  "  My  Lady  Tanith "    87 

that  there  was  something  beneath  his  desire  to 
work  for  me." 

"  The  Assyrians  are  given  to  lying  and  treach- 
ery ;  '  treacherous  as  an  Assyrian '  is  a  common 
saying,  and  a  true  one.  There  must  have  been  some 
reason  besides  fear  which  led  you  to  employ  such 
a  man.  I  have  never  known  you  to  do  a  careless 
act." 

"  Nor  did  I  in  this.  He  was  ready  to  put  his 
dagger  at  my  throat,  and  I  did  not  wish  for  death. 
Yet  that  was  not  my  chief  reason  for  hiring  him. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  I  might  profit  by  the  services 
of  one  so  set  on  obtaining  his  end.  Should  he 
prove  obedient  to  my  commands,  his  stubbornness 
will  make  him  a  valuable  servant.  Also,  after  he 
had  attained  his  desire,  he  avouched  acquaintance- 
ship with  the  king." 

"  And  what  said  the  king?  " 

"  That  he  knew  that  Merodach  had  been  one  of 
the  highest  officers  in  the  Assyrian  army,  that  he 
had  offended  his  king,  and  that  he  would  appoint 
the  Assyrian  to  an  office  in  his  royal  household 
if  I  refused  him  aid.  The  king  also  said  that  Mero- 
dach had  reason  to  believe  in  his  willingness  to  help 
him  before  he  applied  to  me.  Then  he  laughed, 
and  added,  *  He  is  surely  Merodach,  the  Assyrian.' ' 

"  Possibly  it  might  be  the  part  of  wisdom  for 


A  Captain  of  Men 


you  to  promote  this  Merodach  to  an  office  in  one 
of  our  ships,"  said  Tanith,  broodingly.  "  We  have 
lost  many  such  in  storms.  A  touch  of  a  finger  — 
in  a  storm  —  is  a  little  thing.  Yet  he  did  not 
threaten  you  until  you  commanded  your  slaves  to 
throw  him  out." 

"  I  have  thought  of  such  a  promotion,  should 
he  prove  intractable.  But  first  I  desire  to  learn 
his  reason  for  coming  to  me.  It  has  been  some 
time  since  you  were  last  away  from  here.  I  have 
thought  that  Miriam  might  have  need  of  you,  — 
it  may  be  to-morrow?  " 

"  I  had  intended  to  see  her  the  day  after  to- 
morrow," said  Tanith,  rising. 

Her  father  smiled  significantly,  and  they  parted 
for  the  night. 

In  accordance  with  her  father's  wish,  Tanith 
went  to  her  house  on  the  mainland  at  the  time 
named,  and  began  to  catechize  Miriam  as  to  her 
doings  since  last  they  were  together.  As  was  her 
custom,  she  went  all  over  the  premises,  changing 
and  criticising  till  she  inventoried  and  mastered 
the  minutest  details  of  the  work  begun  and  accom- 
plished during  her  absence.  In  the  shortest  time 
possible  she  had  impressed  every  servant  and  slave 
there  with  a  sense  of  impending  judgment.  It  is 


A  Visit  from  "  My  Lady  Tanith "    89 

needless  to  say  that  she  immediately  discerned  the 
figure  of  the  new  gardener. 

"  It  is  hot,  Miriam,  and  I  have  forgotten  the 
cause  of  our  last  quarrel.  You  may  sit  here  and 
fan  me,"  she  said,  languidly.  "  Where  got  we 
this  new  gardener  ?  " 

The  suddenness  of  the  question,  and  the  nature 
of  her  thoughts  of  Merodach,  were  enough  to  cause 
Miriam  much  inward  emotion.  But  her  hatred  of 
Tanith  was  of  so  fine  a  quality  as  to  enable  her 
to  answer: 

"  If  my  lady  Tanith  means  Merodach,  the  As- 
syrian, —  he  was  sent  here  by  my  lord  Esmun 
some  two  or  three  days  ago." 

Tanith  had  not  watched  Miriam's  face,  but  she 
was  certain  that  her  fan  had  neither  faltered  nor 
fluttered  in  its  gentle  play.  For  at  least  once  in 
her  life  she  had  been  completely  deceived. 

"  Have  you  noticed  aught  between  this  Mero- 
dach and  any  of  the  maidens  of  the  house?  " 

"  He  has  seemingly  thought  only  of  his  work, 
and  of  how  it  will  be  viewed  by  my  lord  Esmun, 
in  the  event  of  my  lord's  presence  here." 

"  He  must  be  a  paragon  of  servants,"  said  Ta- 
nith, scornfully.  "  I  would  see  this  model  of  excel- 
lence. Have  him  brought  to  me  here." 

At  which  Miriam's  heart  sank,  for  she  was  sure 


90  A   Captain  of  Men 

that  she  now  understood  the  reason  of  this  unex- 
pected visit.  Until  now  she  had  been  wondering 
why  her  mistress  had  put  on  her  most  beautiful 
garments.  Fortunately  she  had  been  preserved 
from  showing  agitation  when  questioned  about 
Merodach,  and  she  prayed  to  the  God  of  David 
to  save  him  from  Tanith's  allurements;  but  her 
faith  was  not  strong.  Yet  it  was  a  goodly  sight  to 
see  him  towering  above  the  fat  eunuch  who  had 
brought  him.  And  Miriam  was  proud  of  his  grace 
and  calmness. 

"  You  are  the  Assyrian,  Merodach,  sent  here  by 
my  father,"  began  Tanith,  examining  him  beneath 
drooping  lids,  as  one  might  a  horse  or  a  piece  of 
sculpture. 

"  I  am  Merodach  of  Assyria." 

"  I  have  been  told  that  you  were  an  officer  in 
the  Assyrian  army." 

"  I  was  an  officer  in  that  army." 

"  What  was  your  command  ?  " 

"  First  I  was  chief  of  horse ;  my  last  office  was 
third  only  to  that  of  the  king." 

"  But  now  you  are  only  concerned  with  feeding 
fishes  and  trimming  walks  —  " 

"  And  the  right  to  the  clothes  I  wear  and  the 
food  I  eat,"  interrupted  Merodach,  with  quiet 
temerity. 


A  Visit  from  "My  Lady  Tanith "    91 

Miriam  could  have  fallen  at  his  feet  for  love 
of  his  daring;  and  Tanith  began  to  feel  a  languid 
interest  in  the  personality  of  Merodach. 

"  Yet  even  now  you  have  a  friend  in  Hiram, 
the  king.  The  friends  of  our  king  are  clad  in 
princely  raiment  and  may  fare  sumptuously  at  his 
table." 

"  The  king  is  pleased  to  consider  himself  in  my 
debt  because  I  was  present  when  another  saved 
his  life.  Better  the  humble  generosity  of  the  water- 
carriers  who  kept  me  till  now;  better  the  labour  of 
a  gardener  here  than  the  unearned  favour  of  a 
king." 

"  Are  you  as  true  as  you  are  proud,  Merodach 
of  Assyria?  " 

"  Nay,  my  lady  Tanith ;  I  am  ever  proud,  but 
there  are  times  when  I  am  not  true." 

"  You  are  tall  and  strong  of  arm,"  said  Tanith, 
letting  her  eyes  pass  over  his  figure  with  such  a 
critical  yet  impersonal  glance,  as  to  make  him  feel 
himself  an  object  for  barter  or  sale.  So  while  he 
restrained  all  outward  sign  of  his  irritation,  it  well- 
nigh  brought  death  to  the  fat  eunuch.  Very  likely 
the  heat  of  the  day,  the  closeness  of  the  room,  and 
the  scent  of  Tanith's  perfume  of  lilies  were  too 
much  for  the  latter's  power  of  endurance.  The 
poor  wretch  had  been  standing  without  moving 


92  A  Captain  of  Men 

hand  or  foot  while  they  talked.  Perhaps  he  had 
been  deprived  of  his  usual  siesta,  for  he  became 
fearfully  drowsy,  and  Tanith  caught  him  gaping. 

"  Smite  him,  Merodach ;  he  wearies  me  with 
his  sleepy  yawnings,"  she  said.  And  Merodach 
was  glad  to  obey. 

"  Melkarth  himself  could  not  do  better,"  she  softly 
exclaimed,  as  in  response  to  Miriam's  gesture  two 
slaves  entered  and  bore  out  the  senseless  offender. 
"  But  can  you  leap  from  yonder  window  as  readily, 
Merodach  of  Assyria?" 

Merodach  went  to  the  window,  carefully  parted 
its  amethystine  drapery,  and  leaped  without  a 
word. 

"  Is  the  fellow  killed?  "  asked  Tanith  of  Miriam. 

The  latter  went  to  the  window,  beheld  Merodach 
lying  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  down  which  he  had 
rolled,  and  returned,  saying,  carelessly : 

"  He  is  killed,  or  stunned.  It  were  better,  per- 
haps, that  he  were  killed." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles ;  why  better?  " 

"  Because  he  has  stood  before  you  and  failed  to 
notice  the  surpassing  beauty  of  your  face,  and  the 
splendour  of  your  raiment." 

"  I  will  give  you  this  dress  and  will  overlook  your 
impertinence,  if  you  will  discover  for  me  whether 
he  is  a  true  man,  or  the  most  perfect  of  liars." 


A  Visit  from  "My  Lady  Tanith  "    93 

"But  if  he  be  dead?" 

"  The  lord  Esmun  will  send  you  another  in  his 
place;  one  short  and  fat  and  free  of  guile."  A 
curious  opacity  clouded  Tanith's  eyes.  Miriam  said 
nothing,  for  words  ever  failed  her  when  she  beheld 
her  mistress  enfolded  in  her  impenetrable  mantle  of 
sombre  brooding. 

In  a  measure  it  was  the  salvation  of  the  Jewess 
that  she  had  from  childhood  been  fascinated,  while 
terrified,  by  the  study  of  Tanith,  her  moods  and  her 
subtleties.  So  now  she  was  most  fortunate  in  hav- 
ing perception  and  quickness  to  thwart  the  purpose 
of  the  beguiling  frankness  of  one  never  more  dan- 
gerous than  when  she  had  won  her  hearer's  con- 
fidence. 

"  I  have  misjudged  you,  Miriam.  My  slaves  told 
me  of  your  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  Assyrian 
soldiery.  I  knew  that  one  of  their  officers  had  res- 
cued you  from  insult  and  violence.  My  father  in- 
formed me  that  this  Merodach  had  neglected  the 
certainty  of  high  office  under  the  king,  that  he  might 
secure  the  place  of  servant  here.  My  suspicions 
were  aroused.  I  said  to  myself,  It  is  only  one 
woman  who  can  explain  this  mystery;  and  I  came 
directly  to  you." 

"  Had  you  spoken  plainly  of  this  in  the  begin- 
ning, I  should  have  told  you  that  it  was  as  you  sus- 


94  A  Captain  of  Men 

pected.  I  have  no  reason  to  deny  that  Merodach 
of  Assyria  saved  my  honour  and  my  life." 

"  Truly,  I  have  sorely  misjudged  you,  Miriam. 
I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  speak  frankly  to  you. 
And  this  Merodach  did  really  save  your  life  and 
your  honour?  How,  then,  can  you  see  him  in  the 
plight  he  is  now  in,  and  not  move  so  much  as  a 
finger  to  aid  him  ?  " 

"  May  my  God  save  you  from  such  fear  as  I 
am  now  in !  "  cried  Miriam,  falling  before  her  mis- 
tress, the  picture  of  distress  and  consternation. 
"  O  my  lady !  I  am  afraid !  afraid !  I  seem  not 
to  know  what  to  do.  My  lord,  your  father, 
sent  this  man  here  to  me,  —  and  he  is  Merodach, 
my  saviour.  And  now  he  is  sorely  wounded,  —  it 
may  be  dead,  —  and  I  dare  not  go  to  him.  You 
commanded  him  to  leap ;  you  sent  him  to  his  death ; 
and  because  I  fear  your  wrath,  —  because  I  know 
your  wrath,  —  my  gratitude  is  destroyed  by  coward- 
ice." 

"Is  my  anger  so  terrible,  Miriam?" 

"  It  is  as  the  burning  of  Baal-Hamon.  I  cannot 
endure  it." 

"  Yet  until  now  your  self-control  has  been  most 
admirable." 

"  I  hoped  to  preserve  it  until  you  were  gone. 


A  Visit  from  "My  Lady  Tanith "    95 

But  my  fear  is  too  great.  I  am  a  weak  fool,"  said 
Miriam,  hopelessly. 

"  And  is  it  really  true  that  your  fear  of  my  wrath 
is  greater  than  your  gratitude  for  the  one  who 
saved  you?  " 

"  The  Assyrian  shall  die,  if  it  be  your  will,"  cried 
Miriam,  sullen  and  full  of  despair. 

Again  that  sombre  cloud  darkened  Tanith's  eyes. 
She  sat  a  long  time,  silent  and  absolutely  motionless. 
Miriam  knew  that  nothing  could  save  her,  should 
her  mistress  suspect  that  she  cared  for  Merodach. 
She  was  certain  that  Tanith  had  come  expressly  to 
learn  why  he  was  there.  He  was  in  danger;  they 
doubted  his  truth ;  he  had  done  something  to  rouse 
their  suspicions,  and,  for  some  reason,  both  he  and 
herself  would  be  lost  if  Tanith  believed  that  they 
were  lovers.  She  was  sure  that  his  only  safety 
must  lie  in  the  possibility  of  Tanith's  believing  her 
selfish  and  cowardly  enough  to  neglect  him  in  his 
extremity.  The  stress  of  the  moment  had  taught 
Miriam  that  she  loved  Merodach  better  than  she 
loved  herself.  To  save  him  she  would  lie  or  suffer 
death,  if  need  be.  She  felt  that  she  had  shot  her 
last  bolt,  that  she  must  abide  the  result,  —  and 
who  could  penetrate  the  full  purpose  of  that  im- 
passive face  before  her? 

At  last  Tanith  slowly  rose  to  leave  the  room. 


96  A  Captain  of  Men 

When  she  reached  the  doorway,  she  paused  and 
laughed  heartily,  but  as  if  to  herself. 

"  If  your  cowardice  will  serve  to  keep  you  obe- 
dient and  faithful,  Miriam,  you  shall  win  more  of 
me  than  the  bravest  warrior  ever  won  from  king 
with  sword  and  spear.  The  dress  is  already  yours, 
you  little  fool;  but  it  were  as  well  that  you  hasten 
and  discover  if  the  Assyrian  is  yet  in  the  reach  of 
help."  Tanith  laughed  again,  saying  to  herself: 
"  Verily,  I  did  not  think  he  would  dare  to  leap. 
He  is  tall  and  stately  as  the  cedars  of  Lebanon ;  his 
limbs  are  straight  as  Melkarth's."  Then  aloud: 
"It  is  my  wish  that  he  should  live.  Later  you  may 
tell  me  of  his  condition." 

"  May  the  God  of  my  cousin  David  be  with  him 
and  me,"  cried  Miriam,  divided  by  love  and  per- 
plexity, so  soon  as  she  was  alone.  "  May  the  God 
who  forgave  David,  when  he  played  the  madman 
before  Achish  of  Gath,  forgive  me  for  playing  the 
coward  with  Tanith.  My  mistress  has  seen  his 
beauty;  she  laughed  because  he  pleased  her.  It  is 
death  to  him  and  to  me  if  it  is  true  that  he  came  here 
because  of  me  —  and  she  learn  it.  I  have  made 
myself  vile  to  her,  for  one  I  hardly  know.  Yet  he 
saved  me  from  the  brutal  soldier.  And  Tanith 
knew  all  about  it,  and  I  was  almost  undone,  until 
I  learned  of  her  knowledge.  It  may  be  that  God  has 


A  Visit  from  "My  Lady  Tanith "    97 

already  helped  me,  —  surely  He  hath,  if  Merodach 
still  lives." 

Her  life  among  the  Phoenicians  had  almost  oblit- 
erated the  teachings  of  her  childhood.  Yet  the  in- 
stinct of  race  had  made  her  respond,  vaguely  and 
ignorantly,  it  is  true,  to  the  touch  of  David's  faith 
and  spirituality.  So,  alternately  praying  to  an 
almost  unknown  God,  and  communing  with  her 
hopes  and  fears,  she  left  the  house  and  went  to 
where  Merodach  was  lying,  still  quiet  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill. 

He  had  slipped,  on  alighting,  and  had  rolled  and 
struck  his  face  against  a  stone.  Part  of  the  time 
he  had  been  unconscious.  When  he  came  to  life  he 
was  dizzy  and  light-headed  from  the  blow.  The 
impressions  which  had  been  made  during  his  recent 
interview  had  taken,  as  it  were,  bodily  forms  in  his 
bewildered  mind.  There  was,  also,  the  conviction 
that  he  must  not  move  from  where  he  lay,  without 
permission  from  Tanith.  He  was  under  orders,  he 
was  a  soldier;  he  must,  if  need  be,  die  at  his  post. 

Suddenly  it  was  as  if  he  were  divided  in  two. 
He  knew  that  he  was  still  lying  on  the  ground; 
yet  he  saw  himself  sailing  over  a  troubled  sea. 
Fierce  winds  were  howling  overhead,  yet  through 
their  clamour  he  heard  the*  song  of  the  sirens,  sound- 
ing ever  nearer ;  they  were  drawing  him  to  destruc- 


98  A  Captain  of  Men 

tion.  "  Chna  was  right,"  he  drowsily  murmured; 
"  it  is  Tanith ;  she  is  the  siren.  And  Hadad  was 
right,  for  none  may  escape  the  witchery  of  her 
singing." 

The  fragrance  of  Tanith's  lily-scented  hair  was  in 
his  nostrils,  and  the  sense  of  power,  of  attraction,  of 
subtle  influence,  moved  him  as  it  had  when  he  was 
with  her.  Her  inscrutable  gaze  still  held  him  as 
she  sang.  She  did  not  move  so  much  as  an  eyelid, 
she  was  absolutely  still  —  all  but  her  lips.  She  was 
the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world,  and  the 
most  terrible.  She  drew  him  as  the  magnet  draws 
the  steel;  she  was  a  siren,  and  he  was  lost. 

Then  he  was  a  boy  again,  listening  to  his  grand- 
father speak  of  the  love  of  the  woman  who  knew 
that  she  was  beautiful.  The  old  monarch  lifted  his 
great  hand  and  pointed;  and  he  beheld  Tanith  sit- 
ting on  a  rock,  singing.  He  felt  that  he  loathed  her 
exceedingly;  but  she  drew  him  nearer,  always 
nearer. 

"  She  sent  for  me  to  trap  me,"  he  muttered,  when 
his  brain  was  somewhat  clearer.  "  She  knew  from 
her  father  that  I  had  slighted  her  king's  friendship 
for  the  place  of  a  menial  here.  She  was  cunning 
to  snare  me  in  my  own  words.  She  was  like  a 
tigress,  lurking  among  the  reeds  for  the  approach  of 
the  unwary  traveller.  But  Miriam  was  there." 


A  Visit  from  "  My  Lady  Tanith "    99 

Then  his  visions  left  him,  and  he  was  fully  himself. 
He  knew  where  he  was,  and  that  there  was  a  sharp 
pain  just  behind  his  eyes,  that  his  head  ached  ex- 
cruciatingly. And  then  a  strange  thing  happened: 
he  suddenly  recalled  the  voices  he  had  heard  in  the 
night,  and  immediately  recognized  the  voice  of 
Tanith  as  having  been  the  one  which  had  moved 
him  to  anger.  Still  stranger  was  it,  he  thought, 
that  he  should  find  himself  still  smelling  the  fra- 
grance of  lilies.  Even  now,  when  his  mind  was 
clear,  he  smelled  the  perfume  of  Tanith's  hair. 

But  by  this  time  he  had  also  come  to  realize  that 
he  was  not  compelled  to  pass  his  life  upon  the 
ground.  He  was  thirsty  and  shaken;  he  would 
make  his  way  to  his  quarters,  and  go  to  bed.  But 
the  sound  of  footsteps  caused  him  to  delay  a  mo- 
ment. Then  he  heard  a  voice,  saying: 

"  It  is  I,  Miriam.  Do  not  move,  but  tell  me,  art 
thou  badly  hurt?" 

"  My  temples  throb  and  pain  a  little,  but  I  am 
quite  well,"  he  answered,  gazing  at  her  till  she 
longed  to  hide  her  face. 

"  My  lady  Tanith  sent  me  to  you.  I  have  brought 
slaves  with  me  to  carry  you  to  the  house.  No,  no! 
you  must  not  try  to  walk.  Oh,  I  knew  you  should 
not !  "  she  cried,  for  Merodach  had  risen  to  his  feet 
only  to  topple  over  in  a  swoon.  When  he  regained 


IOO  A  Captain  of  Men 

consciousness  he  found  himself  in  a  bed,  his  head 
covered  by  cooling  bandages. 

For  two  days  he  was  quite  feverish,  and  subject 
to  darting  pains.  When  the  fever  left  him,  Tanith 
had  returned  to  the  island,  and  he  was  alone  with 
Miriam. 

"  I  have  been  causing  you  a  great  deal  of  trouble," 
he  said  to  her.  "  Why  did  you  not  let  me  make  my 
own  way  to  the  house?  It  has  seemed  to  me  that 
Tanith  might  resent  your  caring  for  me.  It  was 
so  long  before  you  came,  that  I  have  been  fearing 
that  she  tried  to  prevent  you.  You  must  not  bring 
injury  to  yourself  on  my  account." 

Ashamed,  and  unable  to  let  him  think  her  better 
than  she  was,  Miriam  made  broken  confession  of  her 
duplicity.  "  I  saw  you  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
—  and  I  restrained  myself  from  coming  to  you. 
You  had  saved  me  from  worse  than  death.  I  did 
not  forget  it;  but  Tanith  doubted  us,  and  I  de- 
ceived her.  I  told  her  I  feared  her  —  I  would  have 
sooner  died  to  help  you  —  to  prove  my  gratitude. 
I  lied  only  that  you  might  live." 

"  I  have  never  doubted  you,  Miriam ;  I  could  not 
doubt  you." 

His  voice  was  so  sincere  and  gentle  that  it  lifted 
a  load  from  her  heart.  She  appeared  to  grow 
younger,  and  her  usually  grave  manner  was  bright- 


A  Visit  from  "My  Lady  Tanith "    101 

ened  by  tender  playfulness.  She  asked  him  riddles 
and  chid  him  for  being  unable  to  answer  them.  Yet 
there  was  no  hint  of  trifling  or  of  unmaidenly  levity 
in  anything  she  said  or  did.  Merodach  thought  her 
altogether  charming,  and  he  decided  that  he  would 
not  delay  speaking  of  something  more  than  friend- 
ship. 

The  decision  brought  a  change  that  she  was  quick 
to  detect.  A  pleasant  confusion  took  the  place  of 
her  playfulness.  She  was  like  a  bird  fluttering  about 
a  light  in  the  darkness.  She  was  frightened  by  the 
power  which  charmed  her. 

"  Tanith  asked  me  why  you  were  here,"  she  said, 
hovering  close  to  the  alluring  danger.  "  But  truly 
I  did  not  know."  The  light  was  too  bright;  she 
had  to  singe  her  wings,  —  "  Tell  me ;  why  are  you 
here?" 

"  Because  of  you,  Miriam.  I  have  remembered 
your  face  since  the  day  I  first  met  you." 

Miriam  instantly  became  grave  and  straightfor- 
ward. "  Then  you  must  not  stay  here,  Merodach. 
Tanith  will  discover  your  reason,  and  then  she  will 
surely  kill  you.  But  is  there  not  another  and  a 
stronger  reason  for  your  accepting  such  employment 
from  Esmun?  I  have  heard  that  you  almost  com- 
pelled him  to  employ  you." 


IO2  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  What  reason  could  be  stronger  than  the  one  I 
have  given?"  replied  he,  evasively. 

"  I  will  tell  you  nothing  but  the  truth.  I  cannot 
tell  why  it  is,  but  I  have  felt  that  there  should  be 
only  perfect  truth  between  you  and  me,  Merodach." 

"  Perfect  truth  does  not  always  mean  perfect 
frankness,  Miriam." 

"  Then  there  is  another  reason ;  will  you  be  frank 
with  me?  " 

"  I  have  a  reason  for  thinking  it  better  for  me  to 
be  with  Esmun  than  wj|h  any  other  in  Tyre,"  said 
Merodach,  slowly.  "  And  I  tell  you  frankly  that  my 
life  is  devoted  to  a  certain  purpose;  that,  in  a  meas- 
ure, I  expect  to  further  that  purpose  through  Esmun 
the  merchant.  Some  day  I  may  tell  you  more  than 
this.  Indeed,  it  all  lies  with  you  how  much  I  shall 
tell." 

"  Now  you  are  speaking  in  riddles,"  said  she, 
blushing.  "  How  can  you  say  it  lies  with  me,  when 
I  have  just  asked  you  to  be  frank  with  me?  " 

"  Because  there  are  some  things  so  precious  that 
we  cannot  lightly  entrust  them  to  others.  If  you  had 
a  secret  dearer  than  life  itself,  to  whom  would  you 
tell  it,  Miriam  ?  " 

"  If  I  had  a  secret  so  dear  as  that,  I  would  keep 
it  locked  closely  in  my  heart  —  unless  I  told  it  to 
you,"  said  she,  compelled  to  reply.  Rising,  she  said, 


A  Visit  from  "My   Lady  Tanith "     103 

hurriedly :  "  You  are  still  weak ;  you  are  talking 
more  than  is  good  for  you." 

"  If  you  will  stay  with  me  a  little  longer,  I  will 
be  very  quiet.  Talk  to  me,  Miriam;  your  voice  is 
soft  and  pleasant." 

"  Will  it  really  help  you  if  I  stay?  " 

"  Truly  it  will.  The  pain  in  my  temples  does  not 
seem  so  great  while  you  are  speaking." 

"  Would  it  please  you  if  I  were  to  tell  you  a  tale 
I  heard  from  my  cousin  David?  Then  I  will  stay 
a  little  longer."  So  she  began : 

"  '  Behold,  there  was  a  famine  in  the  land,'  "  and 
she  told  him  the  story  of  Ruth  and  Naomi. 

"  That  is  very  beautiful,"  said  Merodach,  when 
she  had  ended.  "  '  And  thy  God  shall  be  my  God, 
and  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,'  —  which  of  us 
two  shall  say  that?  Would  you  say  that  for  me, 
Miriam?  " 

"Surely  you  should  sleep!"  said  Miriam,  wish- 
ing to  go,  but  more  desirous  to  stay. 

"  I  will  not  leave  Tyre  unless  you  go  with  me. 
Do  you  not  love  me,  Miriam  ?  " 

She  sat  silent  a  moment;  then,  taking  a  chain 
from  her  neck,  she  gave  him  a  disk  of  gold  on  which 
was  engraved  a  serpent,  and  the  words,  "  Jehovah- 
jireh."  "  It  was  given  to  me  by  David,  when  he 
left  me.  We  are  the  descendants  of  Nashom,  of 


IO4  A  Captain  of  Men 

the  serpent  clan.  The  name  is  the  name  of  our  God. 
It  is  the  most  precious  thing  I  own ;  it  may  protect 
thee  from  danger.  Wear  it,  Merodach,  for  I  cannot 
but  love  thee." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE    DISOBEDIENT    PANTHER 

TANITH  passed  a  full  week  with  her  father,  shar- 
ing his  anxiety  concerning  the  fate  of  their  fleet, 
which  should  have  returned  with  tin  from  the  south 
of  what  is  now  France.  The  Phoenicians  had  for 
many  years  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  in  that  precious 
metal.  At  this  time  it  was  brought  from  England 
to  the  Seine;  up  that  river,  thence  overland;  then 
down  the  Saone  and  the  Rhone,  to  the  ships  waiting 
for  it  at  the  latter's  mouth. 

As  Chna  had  told  Merodach,  the  natives  along 
this  route  had  begun  to  waylay  and  rob  these  cara- 
vans. Esmun  had  suffered  once  at  their  hands,  and 
was  now  fearing  a  similar  loss.  His  supply  of  tin 
was  running  short.  He  had  large  contracts  to  fill 
in  Assyria  and  Egypt,  and  the  delay  was  worrying 
him  exceedingly. 

On  the  twelfth  of  the  month  he  received  news  of 
the  complete  failure  of  the  expedition,  and  he  went 

105 


IO6  A  Captain  of  Men 

directly  to  Hiram,  who  was  interested  with  him  in 
the  venture.  The  king  was,  'in  fact,  a  full  partner 
in  the  merchant's  business. 

The  king  listened  earnestly  to  his  story,  and  sat 
a  long  time  after  it,  quiet  in  thought.  Finally  he 
asked : 

"  Is  the  Assyrian,  Merodach,  still  in  your  serv- 
ice?" 

"  He  is,  my  lord." 

"  And  when  does  our  next  venture  for  tin  de- 
part?" 

"  Quite  soon;  the  ships  are  even  now  being  vict- 
ualled and  prepared  for  the  voyage." 

"  This  is  the  second  time  we  have  been  despoiled. 
It  is  almost  —  it  is  quite  necessary  that  we  should 
protect  ourselves.  Merodach  was  the  best  soldier 
in  Assyria;  could  we  not  send  him  there  with  a 
company  of  brave  men  ?  I  believe  that  he  could  put 
a  stop  to  these  robberies." 

"  Such  was  the  very  thought  which  came  to  me 
when  I  hired  him.  I  came  here  to-day  to  speak 
of  him.  But  you  are  ever  beyond  the  need  of  sug- 
gestion." 

"  Then,  as  we  are  agreed,  we  must  not  delay. 
The  time  is  short;  send  the  Assyrian  immediately 
to  me,  and  I  will  give  him  authority  to  command, 
in  your  interests,  —  and  we  shall,  also,  be  rid  of  a 


The  Disobedient  Panther          107 

genius  great  enough  to  cause  us  trouble,  if  used 
against  us." 

"  It  is  now  late,"  suggested  the  merchant.  "  To- 
morrow is  the  day  before  the  Sabbath.  On  the  fif- 
teenth Merodach  shall  see  you,  and  afterward  I  will 
see  that  he  has  men  who  would  follow  their  leader 
into  the  presence  of  Muth  himself." 

From  the  king's  palace  Esmun  passed  to  the  canal, 
—  which  ran  through  the  island,  joining  the  north- 
ern and  southern  harbours,  and  which  was  now  open 
for  use,  —  and  was  conveyed  in  his  own  barge  to 
the  Great  Square.  There  he  landed  and  went  east- 
ward to  his  massive,  four-storied  residence,  to  in- 
form Tanith  of  the  result  of  his  conference  with  the 
king. 

"  I  will  write  and  have  him  sent  to  us  here  to- 
morrow," she  said ;  "  for  I  have  something  for  him 
to  do  before  he  shall  have  risen  above  my  service." 

"  If  that  is  the  case,  after  you  have  finished  with 
him,  you  may  send  him  to  the  king.  I  shall  have 
work  to  do,  and  will  leave  the  matter  entirely  with 
you  and  the  king." 

Tanith  was  more  than  pleased  to  have  matters 
thus  arranged,  as  she  had  been  thinking  continually 
of  Merodach  since  she  had  met  him.  As  Miriam  had 
declared,  she  had  been  angered  by  his  seeming  lack 
of  appreciation.  She  had  used  every  means  for  her 


io8  A  Captain  of  Men 

adornment,  and  he  had  not  noticed  her  beauty. 
Neither  had  he  used  to  her  the  words  of  flattery, 
which  were  so  readily  given  her  by  other  men. 
Nevertheless  his  manner  had  pleased  her;  she  was 
tired  of  sweets,  and  it  was  tiresome  to  be  compelled 
to  select  truth  from  the  silken  rags  of  flattery. 
Hiram  Abif,  the  dwarf,  was,  until  the  coming  of 
this  stranger,  the  only  man  strong  enough  to  refuse 
her  absolute  submission.  But  he  was  too  apt  to 
have  bitterness  on  his  tongue,  and  she  often  had  a 
feeling  that  he  wished  to  humble  her  pride.  More 
than  that,  he  was  a  dwarf;  the  gods  had  cursed  him 
with  an  ugly  face  and  a  misshapen  form.  But  Mero- 
dach  was  beautiful  as  Melkarth;  not  beautiful  like 
the  Greek,  but  strong  and  stately  and  compelling, 
like  a  god.  He  was  braver  than  most  men,  too ;  he 
had  not  hesitated  an  instant  from  that  fearful  leap. 
He  had  obeyed  her  command;  he  had  faced  death 
simply  and  quietly,  as  one  sits  down  to  eat  a  meal. 
There  was  no  flattery  that  could  equal  such  obe- 
dience. 

Consequently  that  night  she  dreamed  of  Mero- 
dach,  and  he  was  still  more  as  a  god,  compelling 
her  love.  In  her  dream  she  fought  against  him,  she 
struggled  with  all  her  might  to  withstand  his  power ; 
he  must  conquer  her  to  win  her.  She  rejoiced  in 
the  bitterness  of  the  conflict,  but  still  more  in  the 


The  Disobedient  Panther          109 

completeness  of  her  defeat.  His  mighty  arms 
crushed  her  in  a  clasp  that  was  as  death,  but  which 
filled  her  with  bliss. 

Therefore  when  morning  was  come,  she  lay  quiet 
many  minutes  while  the  memory  of  her  dream,  and 
the  expectation  of  seeing  him,  held  her  in  languorous 
joy.  And  when  she  quitted  her  couch,  she  had  her 
tirewomen  bathe  and  robe  and  perfect  the  loveliness 
which  was  her  bodily  portion.  It  was  only  after 
they  had  exhausted  all  their  arts  that  she  gazed  first 
in  her  little  convex  hand-mirror  of  glass,  then  long 
and  broodingly  at  the  more  complete  reflex  in  the 
larger  plate  of  flawless  silver.  This  time  he  must 
learn  how  utterly  she  surpassed  all  other  women. 
Then,  after  her  maidens  had  left  her,  she  settled 
herself  back  on  her  couch  of  furs  and  dreamed 
again;  but  this  time  wakingly,  until  she  heard  the 
tinkle  of  a  silver  chain  and  the  whine  of  Melkarth, 
coaxing  her  for  his  customary  release. 

Melkarth  was  a  panther  from  the  far  East,  black, 
glossy,  and  young.  He  had  been  given  her  when  a 
kitten;  and  she  had  reared  him  and  conquered  his 
wild  spirit,  till  he  heeded  her  slightest  word.  Now 
he  was  full  grown,  and  she  loved  and  petted  him. 

Hiram,  the  dwarf,  had  once  told  her  that  she 
should  always  have  the  panther  near  her,  for  she 
was  even  more  beautiful  with  it  by  her  side.  And 


HO  A  Captain  of  Men 

because  she  knew  the  dwarf  to  have  great  knowledge 
of  art  and  all  that  pertained  to  the  beautiful,  she  had 
treasured  his  counsel. 

To  her  only  was  Melkarth  subject.  She  had  him 
chained  in  her  room,  she  alone  fed  him,  and  daily, 
some  two  hours  before  the  midday  heat,  she  gave 
him  liberty  to  leap  and  play  about  the  room.  There- 
fore she  did  not  now  ignore  his  plea,  but,  rising,  she 
loosed  the  chain  from  his  silver  collar,  and  then  re- 
turned to  her  couch  to  be  amused  by  his  gambols. 

Now  he  would  crouch  and  creep  stealthily,  inch 
by  inch,  toward  her,  his  eyes  like  beryls,  his  sinuous 
tail  lashing  from  side  to  side.  She  spoke,  and  he 
would  fawn  upon  her,  or  rub  himself,  purring 
against  her  hand.  Once  she  had  him  rear  himself 
to  her  embrace,  so  that  she  could  hold  her  bare  arms 
about  him,  and  feel  the  soft  warmth  of  his  fur.  At 
times  she  teased  and  worried  him  into  fury;  then 
she  would  smile  into  his  flaming  eyes,  and,  by  a 
word,  restore  him  to  friendship.  Her  father  had 
often  warned  her  against  her  pet,  but  it  was  on 
account  of  the  danger  that  she  enjoyed  the  sport. 

It  was  while  she  was  thus  engaged  that  Merodach 
sought  admission  at  her  door.  Miriam  had  received 
a  message  to  send  him  to  the  island,  and  he  was 
come  to  learn  why  he  was  sent.  He  found  one  of 
Tanith's  maids  standing  under  the  wide  portico, 


The  Disobedient  Panther          1 1 1 

coquetting  with  one  of  the  king's  guards.  Such  an 
occupation  was  not  lightly  to  be  left,  or  it  may  be 
that  she  had  been  prepared  by  her  mistress  for  his 
appearance ;  for  she  smiled  saucily  in  the  Assyrian's 
face,  and  nodded  to  the  open  door.  At  first  he 
thought  he  would  beat  a  summons  on  the  bronze 
shield,  which  was  hung  by  the  door  for  that  purpose ; 
but  the  house  appeared  deserted,  so  he  turned  to  ask 
the  maid  if  the  lord  Esmun  were  in.  The  girl  was 
not  too  much  engrossed  to  lose  his  glance.  Smiling, 
she  nodded  her  head  again,  and  gave  pantomime  in- 
structions for  him  to  present  himself  in  the  next 
story  above. 

This  he  did  without  further  hesitation.  He  passed 
up  a  solid  stairway,  and  paused  curiously  before  a 
heavily  curtained  door.  There  was  opening  enough 
for  him  to  see  into  the  room,  and  he  was  confounded 
by  the  sight  of  Tanith  on  her  couch,  while  Melkarth 
stole  toward  her,  his  belly  touching  the  floor,  his 
ears  flat  against  his  head. 

Instinctively  Merodach  reached  for  his  sword; 
but  it  was  not  by  his  side ;  his  arms  now  were  only 
a  hoe  and  a  spade.  He  would  have  sprung  bare- 
handed into  the  room  and  flung  himself  against  the 
furious  beast;  but  Tanith's  attitude  restrained  him. 
He  perceived  her  careless  smile,  and  knew  that  she 
needed  no  help.  The  expression  of  her  face  fas- 


112  A  Captain  of  Men 

cinated  him.  She  was  as  he  remembered  her,  still 
calm  and  motionless;  but  the  corners  of  her  lips 
curved  slightly  upward,  and  her  skin  was  glowing, 
seemingly  transparent.  It  was  as  if  he  beheld  an 
inward  fire  veiled  by  thinnest  ivory. 

Suddenly  the  panther  spit  and  gathered  himself 
to  spring.  Tanith  spoke  quietly,  bidding  him  quit 
his  folly;  but  Melkarth  refused  to  obey,  spitting 
more  fiercely,  and  lashing  himself  more  furiously 
with  his  tail.  Quickly,  as  though  a  rift  had  cleft 
that  ivory  covering,  light  seemed  to  flash  from 
Tanith's  face.  Yet  it  was  but  the  flare  of  her  eyes ; 
she  raised  herself  upon  her  elbow,  and  scourged 
Melkarth  with  her  gaze,  till  the  brute  whined  and 
slunk  submissive  to  her  knee.  She  patted  his  head, 
and  he  purred,  rubbing  against  her  knee.  She  spoke 
caressingly;  the  panther's  muzzle  was  close  to  her 
cheek,  her  arms  were  about  his  neck.  Then,  while 
Merodach  stood  breathless,  watching  them,  he  saw 
her  right  hand  slip,  with  little  pats  and  loving 
scratches,  down  Melkarth's  side  to  her  bosom.  From 
there  it  slipped  upward,  caressingly  as  before,  but 
grasping  a  dagger  of  finest  steel.  A  sweet  murmur 
of  song  came  from  her  lips,  while  her  hand  smoothed 
along  the  panther's  fur  till  it  felt  his  throbbing 
heart;  then  the  knife  went  swiftly  and  surely  to  its 


The  Disobedient  Panther          113 

hilt,  and  Merodach  rushed  into  the  room  and 
snatched  the  dying  beast  from  her  arms. 

Even  in  that  moment  of  strong  excitement,  he 
was  almost  unconscious  of  what  he  held;  for  she 
looked  full  at  him,  and  her  sombre  eyes  seemed  to 
veil  a  smouldering  flame.  An  instant  later  he 
dropped  Melkarth  to  the  floor  —  already  dead  — 
and  asked: 

"  Has  it  harmed  you  ?  " 

She  pointed  to  her  shoulder,  where  a  trickle  of 
blood  began  to  redden  her  dress. 

"  'Tis  only  a  scratch,"  she  carelessly  protested,  but 
Merodach  bound  it  up. 

"  I  expected  to  see  the  prince,  your  father,"  he  ex- 
plained, when  that  was  done.  "  But  perhaps  I  was 
sent  to  you." 

"  Has  the  fever  left  you?  Has  Miriam,  my  slave, 
cared  for  you  as  I  commanded?  " 

"  The  evil  spirit  has  left  me,  the  heat  is  gone. 
Miriam  was  not  forgetful  of  your  command." 

"  You  may  sit  down,  Merodach,  here ;  I  wish  to 
speak  to  you." 

"  Were  it  not  better  for  me  first  to  have  this  dead 
beast  removed?  Yet  why  did  you  kill  him?  He 
had  yielded,  he  showed  repentance,  and  a  desire  for 
forgiveness." 


114  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  Yes,  he  repented ;  but  he  had  disobeyed,"  she 
carelessly  answered. 

"  And  is  disobedience  to  your  will  always  to  be 
punished  with  death  ?  Was  he  not  dear  to  you  ?  " 

"  Melkarth  was  very  beautiful  and  affectionate.  I 
loved  to  have  him  near  me,  to  feel  his  soft  fur,  to 
watch  him  leap  and  play  about  my  room,"  she  said, 
dreamily.  "  He  was  never  more  pleasing  than  to- 
day; but  he  rebelled,  and  he  is  dead.  How  is  it 
that  you  still  live,  after  your  leap,  Merodach  ?  " 

Merodach,  still  standing,  gazed  down  at  her,  till 
she  wished  to  strike  him  as  she  had  struck  the 
panther. 

"  Life  appears  to  be  quite  a  little  thing  in  the 
service  of  my  lady  Tanith,"  he  said,  at  last.  "  You 
commanded  me  to  leap,  and  I  obeyed.  Death  should 
have  been  my  portion.  You  commanded,  and  Mel- 
karth disobeyed;  and  death  is  his  portion.  Truly, 
my  lady  is  as  the  gods  who  eat  and  drink,  careless 
of  the  death  of  their  servants." 

"  Are  you  finding  fault  with  your  mistress  ?  are 
you  displeased  with  me,  Merodach  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  that  I  am,"  replied  Merodach,  with 
provoking  coolness.  "  When  I  bought  a  horse,  I 
began  at  once  to  study  his  temper,  in  order  to  learn 
how  best  to  train  him  to  my  needs.  Now  that  I 
have  gotten  me  a  mistress,  I  find  myself  desirous  to 


The  Disobedient  Panther          115 

learn  the  subtleties  of  her  temper  and  disposition. 
Therefore  I  may  be  finding  fault,  or  I  may  be  merely 
seeking  for  knowledge." 

"  I  thought  you  a  soldier,  and,  lo,  I  find  you  a 
philosopher.  You  make  me  curious  to  know  what 
you  now  think  of  your  mistress.  Knowledge  is 
more  precious  than  gold,  sweeter  than  spices  from 
Arabia;  I  wish  to  learn  of  myself.  But  first  I  ask 
you  to  sit  here,  for  I  have  always  discovered  that  it 
takes  much  time  to  gather  knowledge." 

"  I  have  many  things  to  do  before  I  shall  be  will- 
ing to  quit  this  earth,  my  lady.  The  knowledge  that 
you  ask  of  me  may,  possibly,  have  taught  me  that 
it  is  better  to  stand  than  to  sit  —  here.  I  was  a 
witness  to  your  method  of  punishing  Melkarth. 
When  I  saw  your  hand  soothing  him  to  compla- 
cency, I  said  to  myself,  How  well  she  loves  her  pet. 
And  when  I  saw  how  admirably  you  lulled  him  into 
a  fancied  security,  till  you  accomplished  his  death, 
I  said  to  myself,  How  sweet  is  my  lady  before  she 
strikes.  Now  it  may  be  that  I  shall  say  what  you 
do  not  like,  and  the  knife  which  slew  the  panther 
might  be  defiled  with  Assyrian  blood." 

"  When  you  tell  falsehoods,  Merodach,  you  should 
never  underestimate  the  ability  of  your  listener. 
You  should  have  known  that  I  could  not  believe 


Ii6  A  Captain  of  Men 

you ;  the  fear  of  death  is  beneath  our  consideration. 
Why  will  you  refuse  to  sit  and  talk  with  me  ?  " 

"  Because  I  would  sit  even  closer  —  here,"  re- 
plied Merodach,  pointing  to  the  dead  panther  by  her 
couch. 

Once  more  he  noted  that  quick  flash,  as  of  light- 
ning, from  her  eyes.  "  Sit  even  there,  Merodach," 
she  whispered. 

Lifting  the  panther,  he  carried  it  to  the  doorway 
and  placed  it  out  of  sight;  he  flung  a  bearskin  over 
the  blood  on  the  floor,  and  sat  on  it  so  that  he  half- 
rested  against  her  knee. 

"  Like  Melkarth,  I  rebelled,  and  repented,"  he 
softly  said.  "  Strike,  my  lady  Tanith." 

As  he  spoke  he  pressed  harder  against  her  knee, 
his  eyes  gazing  mockingly  upward  into  her  face. 
She  bent  a  little  toward  him,  and  rested  her  hand 
upon  his  shoulder,  touching  his  cheek. 

"Do  you  love  me?"  she  whispered,  bowing  her 
head  until  her  lily-scented  hair  touched  his  face. 

"  Nay,  Tanith,"  he  answered ;  "  not  as  I  have 
before  loved  women." 

"  Tell  me  of  her,"  sighed  Tanith,  her  hand  slip- 
ping gently  for  her  bosom. 

"  It  was  up  among  the  peaks  of  the  Northern 
mountains  that  I  met  her.  We  had  harried  a  village, 
our  soldiers  were  drunk  with  victory  and  slaughter. 


The  Disobedient  Panther          117 

They  were  lions,  sparing  none,  men,  women,  nor 
children.  A  young  girl  ran  to  me  and  threw  her- 
self at  my  feet.  I  cannot  tell  how  it  was,  but  her 
touch  thrilled  me;  and  when  she  looked  up,  and 
I  saw  the  tears  and  horror  in  her  eyes,  I  lifted  her 
to  her  feet  and  comforted  her.  She  dwelt  in  my 
tent  two  months.  She  was  always  cheerful  and 
loving.  When  I  was  separated  from  her,  I  thought 
of  her  —  even  in  battle  I  remembered  her  face. 
And  when  I  returned,  her  cry  of  welcome,  her  yearn- 
ing arms  outstretched  to  greet  me,  the  music  of  her 
voice,  made  each  time  sweeter  than  before.  Was 
that  what  you  meant  by  love?  " 

"  It  may  have  been  love,"  she  whispered,  her 
dagger-hand  stealing  toward  his  rounded  throat,  her 
eyes  smiling  into  his.  "  It  was  surely  the  love  of  a 
boy  for  a  girl.  Did  your  love  grow  weary?  Where 
is  she  now  ?  " 

"  One  day  the  battle  went  against  us.  She  ran 
to  me,  but  was  struck  down  by  an  arrow." 

"  But  how  do  you  love  me,  Merodach  ?  " 

"  As  a  tiger  loves  its  mate,"  he  laughed,  grasp- 
ing her  hand  just  as  it  was  raised  to  strike.  "  As 
you  love  me,  Tanith.  Years  have  changed  me  since 
then.  The  blood  runs  fiercer  in  my  veins  —  as  it 
does  in  yours.  There  is  fire  in  your  love ;  you  are 
not  like  her.  By  the  belt  of  Ishtar!  I  could  crush 


Il8  A  Captain  of  Men 

you  to  death  as  I  now  hold  you  —  here  against  my 
breast.  I  could  leap  from  yonder  window,  holding 
you,  dying  with  you.  Your  glance  turns  my  blood 
to  fire.  Nay;  it  is  not  love;  'tis  sweetest  hate." 

"  If  this  be  hate,  Merodach,  let  it  consume  me  — 
here  —  in  your  arms.  But  have  you  no  love  for 
Miriam,  my  slave  ?  " 

Merodach  loosed  his  embrace,  and  rose  to  his 
feet.  "  You  have  sent  for  me,"  he  said.  "  Is  this 
why  I  am  here  ?  " 

Tanith  leaped  from  her  couch  and  gazed  fiercely, 
saying  nothing.  Slowly,  against  her  will,  her  hand, 
still  grasping  the  dagger,  sunk  to  her  side.  For  the 
moment  he  dominated  her,  and  she  replied : 

"  I  told  my  father  of  your  obedience.  He  has 
suffered  loss  because  of  pirates  and  robbers,  and  he 
and  I  offer  you  command  of  soldiers.  We  believe 
that  you  will  save  us  from  such  losses,  if  you  care 
thus  to  serve  us.  Will  you  accept  such  a  command, 
and  will  you  serve  us  faithfully?  " 

"  I  will  accept  your  offer,  Lady  Tanith." 

"  And  leave  Miriam  ?  " 

"  And  leave  Miriam." 

"  To-morrow  is  the  Sabbath,  and  I  have  a  mes- 
sage for  Hiram  Abif,  the  artist.  Will  you,  the 
captain,  carry  it  to  him,  to-morrow,  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lady  Tanith." 


The  Disobedient  Panther          119 

She  gave  him  a  roll  of  papyrus,  and  directed  him 
to  the  house  of  the  dwarf. 

"  After  to-morrow,  you  will  go  to  the  palace  and 
inform  the  king  of  your  acceptance.  He  will  in- 
vest you  with  the  requisite  authority,  and  you  will 
be  no  longer  subject  to  work  beneath  you.  Our 
vessels  will  not  start  until  after  the  approaching  fes- 
tival. I  shall  therefore  see  you  again." 

Tanith  hoped  that  he  would  say  something  to  dis- 
pel the  curious  constraint  he  had  placed  her  in.  But 
he  bowed  low  and  departed,  saying  nothing. 

After  he  had  reached  the  Great  Square,  he  re- 
membered that  he  had  not  seen  Chna  and  Hadad 
for  some  time.  The  day  was  still  young,  he  was 
freed  of  his  work  on  the  main  land,  and  he  con- 
cluded to  pay  them  a  visit. 

As  he  walked  through  the  busy  streets,  he  fell  to 
thinking.  He  was,  as  it  were,  a  traveller  pursuing 
a  path  beset  with  pitfalls,  and  through  a  country 
where  all  he  met  might  be  foes.  It  were  therefore 
the  part  of  wisdom  for  him  to  preserve  the  good- 
will of  the  friends  he  had  already  acquired.  The 
death  of  the  panther  was  too  fresh  in  his  mind,  and 
his  own  narrow  escape  from  a  similar  fate  too  re- 
cent, for  him  to  ignore  the  fact  that  Tanith  might 
use  his  promotion  as  she  had  used  her  caresses  for 
Melkarth  —  before  she  plunged  her  knife  into  his 


I2O  A  Captain  of  Men 

heart.  Brave,  loyal  friends,  however  humble,  were 
not  to  be  slighted. 

Naturally,  then,  by  the  time  he  was  near  the  hut 
of  the  waterman,  he  was  deep  in  the  memory  of  their 
last  meeting-.  Of  course  the  king  had  fulfilled  his 
promises,  and  Chna  was  in  his  first  enjoyment  of  a 
pension  large  enough  to  make  him  comfortable  for 
life.  Merodach  recalled  how  the  smiles  had  seemed 
to  expand  the  wrinkles  of  the  old  man's  face,  how 
engrossed  he  had  been  in  contriving  for  the  fullest 
use  of  his  income;  he  would  spend  the  remainder 
of  his  days  in  the  selection  of  luxuries  which  should 
compensate  him  for  the  privations  of  his  youth. 
Chief  of  the  blessings  which  should  crown  his  old 
age  was  the  glory  and  comfort  of  owning  a  slave. 
The  Assyrian  could  almost  see  the  veteran  sunning 
himself  in  voluptuous  idleness,  while  his  slave  fanned 
him  free  of  the  flies  that  were  such  a  torment  to  the 
poor. 

But  Chna  was  alone,  grumbling  and  cursing, 
clothed  in  rags  and  discontent.  The  sun  was  too 
hot,  the  shade  was  too  cool;  life  was  full  of  shams 
and  disappointments;  poverty  was  the  portion  of 
the  aged,  ingratitude  the  vice  of  the  young;  and 
the  flies  were  continually  about  him,  hungry  for  his 
death. 

"  You  cannot  mean  that  the  king  has  forgotten 


The  Disobedient  Panther          1 21 

you,"  exclaimed  Merodach,  amazed  and  grieved  by 
the  old  man's  woe. 

No,  the  king  had  done  everything  as  he  had 
promised;  but  he  was,  after  all,  but  a  youth,  and 
the  young  were  very  forgetful.  Suppose  the  king 
should  forget :  Chna  was  old,  exceedingly  old ;  the 
aqueduct  had  ruined  his  chance  for  obtaining  a  live- 
lihood —  what  could  he  do  when  the  king  forgot  ? 

"  But  even  the  forgetfulness  of  the  king  cannot 
harm  you.  He  has  provided  against  his  own  for- 
getfulness, against  his  own  death.  He  had  these 
pensions  made  a  law  of  the  land ;  he  has  made  your 
income  absolutely  sure,"  argued  Merodach.  "  Cheer 
up,  old  friend!  You  are  righting  imaginary  foes, 
you  are  in  no  danger  of  want.  But  where  have  you 
sent  your  slave  ?  and  why  are  you  alone  in  rags  ?  " 

"  My  slave?  "  growled  Chna.  "  I  have  no  slave. 
I  am  poor,  frightfully  poor ;  and  Hadad  is  wasting 
his  substance  in  drunkenness.  Hadad  buying 
purple  and  jewels  for  his  women.  Hadad  is  rich. 
Hadad  is  a  power  in  the  city.  Hadad  is  hand  in 
hand  with  Esmun,  the  prince.  In  one  year,  in  two 
years,  Hadad  will  say :  '  Chna,  my  money  is  gone. 
My  father,  shall  I  starve  on  your  threshold  ?  '  What 
should  such  as  I  do  with  a  slave!  You  mock  me, 
you  hypocritical  Assyrian.  May  fleas  devour  you !  " 

Thus,  bit  by  bit,  the  veteran  opened  his  heart,  till 


122  A   Captain  of  Men 

Merodach  knew  all  its  miserly  fears  and  bitterness. 
Toward  night  Hadad  appeared,  glowing  with  health, 
flushed  with  wine,  bejewelled,  scented,  radiant,  in- 
solent. He  was  infinitely  above  the  Assyrian  gar- 
dener. He  had  heard  that  Merodach  had  had  the 
good  fortune  to  obtain  work,  tending  Esmun's 
grounds  and  fish-ponds.  His  dear  friend  Hector 
had  told  him  of  it.  He  was  now  quite  rich,  he  had 
made  good  investments,  and  he  was  not  one  to  for- 
get old  times  and  needy  friends.  The  Assyrian  had 
but  to  say  the  word,  and  he  would  prove  his  friend- 
ship. 

Merodach  was  absolutely  silent  under  this  torrent 
of  boastful  conceit,  and  his  quiet  disconcerted 
Hadad,  who  began  to  stutter  and  turn  a  deeper  red. 
Something  in  the  cold  regard  of  Merodach  awed 
him,  so  that  he  began  to  feel  young  and  insignifi- 
cant. But  soon  he  grew  angry;  why  should  this 
common  Assyrian  gardener  refuse  to  speak  ?  Where- 
upon he  charged  Merodach  with  ingratitude:  had 
they  not  picked  him  out  of  the  sea?  Had  they  not 
fed  him  and  clothed  him  ?  "  Speak,  Merodach,  or, 
by  Ashtoreth!  I'll  show  you  the  door." 

"  You  are  drunk,  Hadad ;  your  good  fortune  has 
turned  your  head.  If  I  did  not  remember  your 
kindness,  I  should  not  be  here." 

Hadad  was  indeed  drunk,  and  his  usual  good 


The  Disobedient  Panther          123 

humour  was  warped,  for  he  saw  insult  and  an  in- 
tention to  offend  in  everything  Merodach  said  and 
did.  And  the  latter  was  quite  patient,  until  Hadad 
had  worked  himself  into  a  fury,  and  gone  so  far  as 
to  seize  him  by  the  shoulder  and  threaten  to  put 
him  out  of  the  hut. 

In  an  instant  the  two  were  locked  and  wrestling 
for  the  mastery.  The  thrill  of  human  contact  roused 
the  worst  in  Hadad.  He  was  a  giant  in  strength, 
and  he  purposed  to  throw  the  Assyrian  and  grind 
his  life  out  on  the  floor.  But,  instead,  he  found  him- 
self in  a  terrible  embrace;  darkness  fell  upon  him, 
he  felt  himself  crushed  beneath  his  opponent's  knee; 
he  was  upon  his  back,  and  above  him  was  a  face 
which  made  him  close  his  eyes  and  wish  for  sudden 
death. 

"  Slay  me,"  he  groaned ;  "  I  am  not  worthy  of 
mercy." 

"By  Asshur!"  laughed  Merodach;  "you  have 
a  hug  like  that  of  a  bear.  But  you  are  soft  and  out 
of  condition.  Some  day,  after  you  have  worked 
off  your  surplus  flesh,  we'll  try  another  bout." 

They  were  both  standing  now.  Hadad  had  been 
sobered  by  his  fall.  He  looked  at  Merodach,  and 
felt  that  the  Assyrian  had  changed  into  one  full  of 
power  and  greatness.  He  was  abashed  by  the  grave 


124  A   Captain  of  Men 

kindliness  of  his  regard;    he  tried  to  make  apol- 
ogies, but  the  other  stopped  him,  saying : 

"  The  sound  of  the  sea  is  still  in  my  ears;  only 
death  can  end  my  friendship  for  you  and  Chna." 

Afterward  neither  Hadad  nor  Chna  could  tell 
how  it  happened  that  they  should  be  standing  hand 
in  hand  with  Merodach.  Then  they  only  knew  that 
he  was  different;  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they 
felt  that  they  would  follow  this  man,  this  com- 
mander, this  king,  wherever  he  might  lead.  He  had 
told  them  of  his  promotion,  and  they  were  glad  to 
promise  to  go  with  him,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

Later,  when  they  were  asleep  on  their  couches 
of  skins,  Merodach  went  out  and  sat  by  the  lapping 
sea. 

"  Hadad  is  mine  and  Chna  is  mine,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  Tanith  is  mine  and  Miriam  is  mine," 
and  then  he  paused,  for  he  perceived  that  he  was 
standing  at  the  parting  of  two  roads.  With  Tanith 
he  might  rule  both  land  and  sea.  With  Miriam  — 
what? 


CHAPTER   IX. 

IN   THE   STUDIO   OF   HIRAM    ABIF 

IT  was  "  the  day  of  rest  for  the  heart,"  the  Phoeni- 
cian Sabbath,  and  Hiram  Abif  was  alone  in  his 
house  on  the  Great  Square.  Evidences  of  his  handi- 
craft were  all  about  him:  finished  and  unfinished 
pieces  of  needlework,  engraved  jewels,  statuettes  in 
bronze,  silver,  and  gold,  drawings,  plans  for  temples 
and  palaces,  beaten  work  and  castings,  grotesque 
idols  in  baked  clay,  mechanical  inventions,  and  every 
conceivable  product  of  artistic  imaginings,  crowded 
the  studio  of  this  most  versatile  genius,  whose  later 
years  were  to  be  crowned  by  the  glory  of  Solomon's 
temple. 

Of  mixed  parentage,  a  Phoenician  father  and 
Jewish  mother;  a  devout  lover  of  the  beautiful; 
gifted  with  a  subtle  intellect,  and  cursed  with  He- 
brew spirituality  joined  to  the  Phoenician  heritage 
of  commercialism  and  grossness,  —  Hiram  was,  at 
once,  the  most  envied  and  the  saddest  man  of  his 

135 


126  A  Captain  of  Men 

time.  Very  strikingly  was  this  cruel  blending  of 
antagonistic  elements  displayed  in  the  pathetic  wist- 
fulness  of  incomparable  eyes  in  a  face  of  unequalled 
ugliness.  Hands  and  feet  fit  for  a  sculptor's  model 
were  united  to  long,  ungainly  arms  and  misshapen, 
bony  legs.  A  brow  of  exceptional  depth  surmounted 
protrusive  shoulders  and  a  humped  back.  And  the 
curse  of  incongruity  could  also  be  seen  in  his  work : 
in  the  grotesque  ifols  he  designed  for  trade  with 
ignorant  tribes;  and  in  the  grandeur  of  design  and 
delicate  loveliness  of  Solomon's  temple. 

All  tastes  could  be  appreciated  and  catered  to  by 
Hiram,  the  cunning  dwarf.  The  superstitions  of 
the  most  degraded  savage,  or  the  aspirations  of 
David  of  Israel,  were  alike  familiar  to  this  double- 
natured  artist.  He  could  dicker  and  lie,  could  plan 
and  sell  with  any  merchant  in  Tyre.  He  could  be 
also  the  philosopher;  could  perceive  his  lower  self 
and  mock  at  it,  separate  the  false  from  the  true, 
discern  the  values  of  opposing  interests,  and  view 
impersonally  the  justice  of  things  he  hated.  Also 
there  were  periods  when  he  craved  the  best;  times 
when  the  excellence  of  personal  holiness  gave  him 
conception  of  a  holy  God;  times  when  purity,  hon- 
esty, and  integrity  were  chiefest  and  most  to  be 
desired. 

Hiram  Abif,  first  of  artists,  combined  the  sym- 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     127 

bolic  ideality  of  Egyptian  art  with  the  realism  of 
Assyria.  He  was  the  forerunner  of  Phidias  and 
Praxiteles;  of  the  art  which  made  Greece  preemi- 
nent in  sculpture.  Finally,  he  had  the  quality  of 
analysis,  the  ability  to  penetrate  the  secrets  of  the 
human  heart.  He,  only,  could  fathom  some  of  the 
darker  depths  of  Tanith's  nature.  He  loved  her, 
passionately,  hopelessly,  cynically,  loathingly.  And 
yet  he  only  had  discovered  the  spiritual  loveliness 
which  underlaid  the  character  of  Miriam;  and  he 
adored  her,  he  worshipped  her  inherent  purity, 
dreaming  of  her  as  of  an  unapproachable,  uncon- 
taminated  divinity. 

But,  after  all,  the  depths  of  the  shallowest  nature 
are  unsoundable,  and  we  are  constantly  amazed  by 
what  we  must  ignorantly  term  the  inconsistencies 
of  humanity.  The  veil  of  the  holy  of  holies  is,  in- 
deed, often  rent  and  torn,  but  there  are  ever  hidden 
corners  behind  its  tattered  rags. 

Let  us,  therefore,  return  to  the  fact  that  it  was 
the  Sabbath,  and  that  the  artist  was  alone  with  his 
creations  and  himself.  A  cleared  space  had  been 
made  in  the  middle  of  the  room;  the  successes  and 
failures  of  a  master  hand  and  brain  had  been  care- 
lessly thrust  aside,  and  Hiram  was  sitting  in  reverie 
before  his  two  most  recent  creations.  Side  by  side 
they  stood,  his  two  statuettes  in  bronze. 


128  A   Captain  of  Men 

One  was  meant  to  represent  Esmun,  the  eighth 
and  most  powerful  of  the  gods  called  by  the  Phoeni- 
cians the  Cabirim,  —  the  dwarfs  who  guide,  protect, 
and  control  the  sailors  on  the  seas.  Two  of  the 
seven  visible  gods  (the  Pleiades)  point  to  the  polar 
star,  but  Esmun,  the  eighth,  cannot  be  seen  by  mor- 
tal eye,  and  it  is  he  who  blows  the  deadly  mistral 
or  gentle  zephyrs,  as  he  wills. 

Hiram  had  modelled  the  god  with  Assyrian  at- 
tention to  detail  and  truthfulness  to  life.  Veins, 
muscles,  and  joints  were  perfectly  shown,  and  the 
texture  of  the  skin  was  wonderful.  The  face  of 
the  god  was  full  of  power,  whether  for  good  or  ill. 

The  other  figure,  which  represented  Ashtoreth  of 
the  silver  crescent,  —  the  goddess  of  love,  —  was 
fashioned  more  along  the  lines  of  the  best  Egyptian 
art.  At  least  this  was  true  of  her  lower  limbs  and 
feet,  which  were  seemingly  unfinished ;  but  from  the 
waist  upward  the  workmanship  was  of  exquisite 
finish.  Mystery  brooded  in  the  long,  half-shut  eyes. 
Her  lips  were  full  and,  at  first  view,  stern;  but 
about  their  corners  hovered  a  suggestion  of  ineffable 
voluptuousness.  The  nose  was  perfectly  feminine, 
but  inclined  to  massiveness,  and  the  brow  was  broad 
and  smooth.  Add  to  this  an  indescribable  charm, 
a  tantalizing  subtlety  of  expression,  and  we  have, 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     129 

after  all,  only  the  barest  outline  of  Hiram's  master- 
piece. 

The  artist  was  so  engrossed  in  viewing  his  finished 
work  that  Merodach  had  to  knock  repeatedly  before 
he  could  make  himself  heard.  Yet  finally  Hiram 
became  conscious  of  the  brazen  clamour,  and  the 
Assyrian  was  invited  to  enter.  The  message  was 
delivered  and  read,  and  the  dwarf  walked  restlessly 
about  the  room,  disturbed  by  its  contents. 

For  in  it  Tanith  reminded  him  of  the  nearness  of 
the  festival,  of  the  feast  the  king  was  to  give,  and 
she  besought  him  to  design  for  her  a  garment  of 
exceptional  beauty.  On  it  she  wished  a  needlework 
presentment  of  the  god  Melkarth.  "  And  it  will 
please  me,"  ran  the  note,  "  to  have  the  god  bear 
likeness  to  him  who  will  deliver  this,  my  entreaty. 
For  surely,  O  Hiram,  there  is  not  in  all  Sidonia  one 
better  fitted  for  such  honour  than  this  Merodach 
of  Assyria.  It  is  my  earnest  desire  to  show  forth 
the  excellence  of  thy  handiwork,  the  perfection  of 
thy  skill.  May  the  gods  favour  thee  as  thou  favour- 
est  me." 

A  sneering  smile  distorted  Hiram's  face.  "  The 
gods  have  blessed  you  with  twofold  richness,  Mero- 
dach of  Assyria,"  he  said,  careless  of  the  effect  of 
his  insolence.  "  First,  you  have  obtained  favour 
with  the  lady  Tanith;  and,  second,  you  have  rea- 


130  A  Captain  of  Men 

sonable  hope  of  becoming  immortal  through  the 
cunning  of  Hiram  the  artist." 

"  As  I  am  ignorant  of  the  words  of  the  message 
I  brought,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  understand 
all  your  meaning.  It  is  only  plain  to  me  that  my 
double  blessing  will  not  compare  with  the  one  you 
have  already  received." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles,"  sneered  Hiram.  "  Will 
you  not  enlighten  my  ignorance  by  informing  me 
of  the  nature  of  my  good  fortune  ?  " 

"  You  live  after  an  inexcusable  insolence.  Does 
this  message  require  an  answer?  I  would  leave 
you  before  I  forget  that  we  are  strangers." 

"  By  Melkarth !  "  laughed  the  dwarf,  "  you  have 
struck  me  fairly.  Skin  for  skin,  yea,  all  that  he 
hath  will  a  man  give  for  his  life;  and  because  I 
am  still  young  in  years  and  have  much  left  to  ac- 
complish, I  am  grateful  for  your  forbearance  and 
self-control.  Now  tell  me,  Merodach,  what  will 
you  do  to  one  who  acknowledges  his  fault,  and 
asks  you  for  forgiveness  ?  " 

"  If  he  ask  in  earnestness  and  from  an  honest 
heart,  I  will  meet  him  half-way;  if  he  ask  only 
for  the  sake  of  talking,  I  will  treat  him  as  it  may 
please  me." 

Hiram  was  silent  a  moment,  then  he  became  quite 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     131 

grave.  "  I  was  no  better  than  a  spoiled  child ;  I 
honestly  desire  your  forgiveness." 

"  I  was  sure  that  I  had  not  underestimated  the 
maker  of  these,"  replied  Merodach,  pointing  to  the 
two  figures.  "  I  should  consider  myself  honoured 
by  the  friendship  of  the  greatest  artist  in  the 
world." 

"  Friendship  is  a  plant  of  very  slow  growth ;  but 
your  forbearance  has  planted  the  seed.  Are  you, 
too,  an  artist  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  and  watched  the  best  artists  of 
Assyria  and  Babylon  at  work.  I  have  envied  them 
their  cunning  and  skill,  but  my  life  has  been  that 
of  a  soldier,  my  tools  a  sword  and  spear." 

"  Yet  you  have  the  artist's  eye,  and  you  cared 
to  watch  them  at  work.  Step  a  little  backward 
—  here  —  and  look  carefully  at  them.  Then  ex- 
amine them  from  a  shorter  distance,  and  tell  me 
the  thoughts  these  figures  give  you.  Speak  plainly 
and  frankly,  as  you  already  have,  and  count  me 
worthy  of  honest  correction." 

"  This  is  certainly  you,"  said  Merodach  at  last 
of  the  male  figure.  "  It  is  wonderfully  done ;  the 
eyes  of  a  god,  the  lips  of  a  demon.  It  is  surely 
you;  but  the  longer  I  look  at  it  the  more  it  seems 
other  than  you.  And  it  has  the  appearance  of  life, 
overflowing  life  and  power.  The  best  of  Assyria 


132  A   Captain  of  Men 

and  Babylon  are  as  children  compared  to  the  maker 
of  this." 

A  proud  smile  lit  Hiram's  face,  but  there  was 
genuine  humility  in  his  reply.  "  It  seemed  to  me 
that  there  was  improvement  in  my  work;  but  I 
cannot  make  this  bronze  present  the  figures  of  my 
dreams.  It  is,  after  all,  hardly  more  than  a  man; 
the  god  I  wished  to  make  has  eluded  my  grasp." 
Then,  turning  to  the  other  figure,  he  softly  said: 
"And  this  one;  is  it  of  equal  merit?" 

"  Ever  since  I  came  into  the  room  I  have  been 
seeing  her.  And  her  eyes  have  seemed  to  follow  me 
wherever  I  went.  It  is  my  lady  Tanith,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Esmun." 

"  You  say  that  her  eyes  have  followed  you ;  is 
that  all?  Have  you  heard  nothing  from  her 
lips?" 

"  She  speaks  in  whispers  heard  only  by  the  heart. 
Her  voice  is  like  that  which  moves  one  at  night, 
when  the  crescent  of  Ishtar  hangs  over  the  hills, 
and  the  air  is  sweet  with  the  scent  of  flowers,  — 
and  when  you  are  thinking  of  an  absent  loved  one. 
I  have  tried  to  consider  why  you  have  left  her 
lower  part  unfinished,  but  I  can  see  nothing  save 
her  eyes  and  her  lips;  they  hold  me,  and  I  find 
myself  listening  to  hear  her  speak.  The  other  has 
life  and  power;  but  she  has  the  mystery  of  death. 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     133 

She  says  that  death  with  her  is  sweeter  than  life, 
—  that  the  choicest  flower  blooms  amidst  decay." 

The  smile  deepened  in  Hiram's  eyes.  "  Can  you 
think  of  anything  lacking?"  he  almost  whispered. 
"  She  has  appeared  to  me  —  here  - —  even  as  she  has 
to  you.  But  there  is  still  more;  what  have  you 
seen  of  Tanith  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  what  is  not  here;  flame  leap  from 
her  glance,  then  deeper  gloom,"  replied  Merodach, 
still  under  the  spell  that  had  impelled  him  to  un- 
wonted speech. 

"  And  when  you  saw  the  flame,  you  saw  death 
close  by  her  side.  Who  caused  that  glance?  Even 
I  have  seen  it  only  once.  Whom  did  it  strike?" 

"  There  were  only  we  three :  my  lady  Tanith, 
Melkarth  the  panther,  and  myself.  Melkarth  de- 
layed obedience.  Her  hand  glided  softly  and  ca- 
ressingly along  his  side  to  her  bosom,  and  came 
back  snake-wise  along  his  fur  until  she  reached  his 
heart  with  her  dagger." 

"  Tanith  permitted  you  to  see  that !  Did  she 
know  that  you  witnessed  all  she  did  ?  " 

For  some  reason  Merodach  was  loosed  of  the 
spell.  The  sudden  realization  of  how  he  had  talked 
was  as  wormwood  and  gall  to  one  of  his  nature. 
Was  he  a  silly,  garrulous  boy,  to  be  showing  so 
much  to  a  stranger?  He  could  not  comprehend 


134  A  Captain  of  Men 

why  he  had  acted  so  utterly  at  variance  with  in- 
stinct, training,  and  habit. 

"  I  have  forgotten  my  duty  in  my  interest  in 
your  work.  Does  my  message  require  an  answer  ?  " 
"  I  cannot  tell ;  I  have  not  decided.  But  I  wish 
you  to  stay  a  little  longer.  I  am,  as  you  see,  alto- 
gether an  artist,  and  it  is  only  as  an  artist  that  I 
may  say  that  I  have  never  till  now  seen  such  a  form 
as  yours.  Hadad  the  sailor  and  Hector  the  Greek 
are  both  unusual  in  their  way,  but  you  are  perfect." 
"  In  such  a  manner  one  examines  a  horse  or  a 
slave  before  buying,"  returned  the  Assyrian.  "  I 
comprehend  that  you  mean  no  insult;  but  it  dis- 
pleases me.  I  will  bid  you  farewell :  May  Asshur 
grant  you  long  life  and  an  abundance  of  prosper- 
ity." 

"  Have  I  really  displeased  you  ?  "  asked  Hiram, 
quite  sadly. 

"  Only  for  an  instant ;   not  beyond  forgiveness." 
"Then  why  will  you  insist  on  leaving  me?" 
"  Because  it  seems  wiser  for  me  to  go." 
"  You  have  changed  so  suddenly  that  I  am  anx- 
ious to  learn  the  reason.     Just  a  little  while  ago 
you  asked  for  my  friendship.     You  spoke  frankly 
to  me  then;    then  your  voice  and  manner  became 
cold.     For  some  reason  you  regret  your  frankness. 
Have  I  lessened  in  your  esteem  so  quickly  ?  " 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     135 

Merodach  replied  with  unusual  directness  and 
sincerity.  "  When  I  was  a  young  boy,  I  spoke 
just  as  I  thought,  without  reservation  or  conceal- 
ment. I  was  truthful  and  frank  because  I  was 
young  and  among  those  who  loved  me.  Years 
have  passed  since  then,  and  I  have  learned  that 
men  must  keep  their  thoughts  as  in  a  walled  city. 
I  have  learned  that  sorrow  and  loss  are  joined  to 
open  lips  and  a  nimble  tongue.  This  knowledge 
and  habit  of  life  have  been  mine  for  several  years. 
Yet,  to-day,  I  have  met  you  for  the  first  time,  and 
I  have  found  myself  talking  entirely  too  much. 
This  is  quite  beyond  my  comprehension.  Now, 
because  I  have  felt  a  strong  desire  for  your  friend- 
ship, I  have  explained  why  I  have  returned  to  my 
usual  self.  I  must  not  let  myself  continue  in  such 
looseness  of  speech." 

"  I  have  wondered  why  it  was  so,  but  truth  and 
frankness  are  always  given  me.  Tanith  is  the 
daughter  of  lies;  but  even  she  opens  her  heart  to 
the  ugly  dwarf.  The  words  of  Hiram  the  king 
are  as  the  waves  which  sparkle  upon  the  surface 
of  the  sea  to  hide  the  depths ;  but  he  is  truthful  and 
strangely  frank  with  me.  It  is  true  that  I  have 
known  none  in  all  the  world  that  can  use  bronze,  and 
wood,  and  jewels,  and  fine  linen,  and  stone,  and  turn 
them  into  things  of  beauty  as  I  can ;  but  still  I  am 


136  A  Captain  of  Men 

only  '  Hiram  the  dwarf.'  Were  I  like  you,  Mero- 
dach. it  might  be  different,  —  I  cannot  know,  but 
so  it  seems  to  me.  I  am  the  dwarf,  and  man  and 
woman  have  considered  me  as  a  thing  to  be  used: 
a  receptacle  for  burdening  secrets,  a  plaything,  a 
tool.  There  is  only  Miriam,  Tanith's  slave,  who 
has  a  belief  that  there  is  a  heart  in  the  crooked 
dwarf;  she,  only,  comes  to  me  as  a  friend.  Now, 
because  I  have  discovered  no  trace  of  scorn  or  of 
pity  in  you,  and  because  you  have  been  willing  to 
tell  me  your  reasons  for  leaving  me,  I  am  speaking 
to  you  as  directly  and  as  simply  as  though  I  were 
a  child. 

"  You  are  Merodach,  the  grandson  of  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  by  right  a  king,  —  for  so  Hiram  told  me. 
I  am  Hiram  the  artist.  If  you  will  agree  to  give  me 
true  friendship,  I  will  hold  you  as  a  brother.  I 
know  not  why  it  is,  but  I  am  drawn  to  you.  Some- 
times evil  spirits  possess  me  and  drive  me  into 
actions  that  I  loathe;  and  there  are  times  when 
there  is  no  good  thing  in  me.  But  you  are  able 
to  steer  the  ship  of  your  purpose  through  storm  and 
passion;  it  may  be  that  that  is  why  it  is  now  my 
turn  to  ask  for  friendship." 

"  Once  I  had  a  true  friend,"  responded  Merodach. 
"  We  slept  side  by  side ;  we  ate  out  of  the  same 
dish;  we  were  wounded  for  each  other  in  battle. 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     137 

I  had  also  a  woman  whom  I  loved;  but  my  friend 
was  dearer  to  me  than  my  mistress.  Will  you  be 
such  a  friend  as  that  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  in  me  lies." 

"  Then  I  swear  to  you  truth  and  loyalty  and 
brotherly  kindness." 

"  Then  sit  down,  you  snared  lion,"  laughed 
Hiram,  "  and  let  me  entertain  you.  First,  we  will 
pour  out  a  libation  to  our  friendship  in  this  wine 
of  Cyprus.  It  has  been  mellowing  a  full  hundred 
years  for  our  use.  Fie  on  you,  Merodach!  you 
drink  as  if  you  feared  it. 

"  And  now  I  will  test  the  keenness  of  your  wis- 
dom; for  I  desire  to  know  my  friend  as  you  know 
the  temper  of  your  sword.  Can  you  solve  me  this 
riddle? 

" '  A  wooden  well, 

An  iron  pitcher, 

Stone  draws, 

Water  falls ; 
What  is  it,  friendly  teacher  ? ' '» 

"  Indeed,  I  cannot  explain  what  it  is.  I  have 
never  been  quick  at  reading  riddles." 

"  Yet  yesterday  when  I  asked  Tanith  she  told 
me  so  soon  as  the  words  passed  my  lips.  But  she 
is  a  woman,  and  had  every  reason  to  know  that 
it  is  the  wooden  bottle  in  which  she  and  her  sisters 


I3&  A  Captain  of  Men 

keep  their  pills  for  colouring  their  eyelids.  The 
iron  pitcher  is  the  iron  pipe  which  draws  out  the 
liquid  from  the  pills.  Because  you  are  a  man,  I 
will  excuse  your  ignorance,  and  give  you  another 
test.  But  now  listen : 

"  «  Over  its  head  the  storm  sails  with  delight ; 
For  birds  it  prepares  dishes, 
Brings  joy  to  rich  and  dead ; 
To  poor  it  causes  fright, 
And  grief  it  brings  to  fishes,'  —  * 

What  is  it?" 

"  Neither  can  I  explain  this  riddle ;  yet  it  keeps 
teasing  me  and  telling  me  I  am  a  fool  for  not 
understanding  what  it  is." 

"  How  often  have  you  seen  the  fields  of  flax 
bending  and  swaying  beneath  the  storm?  The  rich 
make  money  selling  it;  birds  feed  on  its  stalk; 
shrouds  are  made  from  it  for  the  dead;  the  poor 
make  of  it  clothes,  and  the  fishes  are  caught  in  nets 
of  flaxen  fibre.  Truly  I  am  almost  disappointed 
in  the  understanding  of  my  friend.  Yet,  now  that 
I  think  of  it,  these  riddles  are  peculiar  to  us  here. 
So  I  will  give  you  one  more  trial,  and  this  time 
I  shall  ask  of  something  quite  familiar  to  you. 

1  The  riddles  propounded  by  Hiram  Abif  to  Merodach  are  taken 
from  Prof.  Naphtali  Herz  Imber's  "  Treasures  of  Ancient  Jerusa- 
lem." Legend  says  that  they  were  given  for  solution  to  King 
Solomon  by  the  Queen  of  Sheba. 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     139 

"  Why  is  it  that  Assyrian  artists  use  colour  on 
their  statuary?  Can  you  tell  me  that?  " 

"  I  have  often  noticed  that  our  artists  use  red 
and  blue  and  black.  They  put  blue  on  helmets, 
on  trappings  of  horses,  on  flowers  and  sandals, 
trees  and  branches,  birds'  claws,  bows,  spears,  and 
arrows.  They  use  red  on  the  king's  apparel,  his 
parasol  and  his  mitre,  and  sometimes  they  use  red 
on  birds  and  on  arms.  I  have  seen  black  on  hair 
and  beard,  and  in  the  eyes  of  man  and  beast;  and 
quite  seldom  they  paint  white  in  the  corners  of  the 
eye.  I  have  seen  all  these  colours  on  our  statu- 
ary." 

"  Your  eyesight  is  very  good,  Merodach ;  but 
why  is  it  that  they  use  colours  at  all  ?  " 

"  You  are  an  artist,  tell  me  the  reason." 

"  You  may  not  be  an  answerer  of  riddles,  but 
you  are  wise  to  handle  men,"  chuckled  the  artist. 
"  So  I  will  explain  my  meaning.  Your  artists  in 
Assyria  use  their  figures  to  lend  beauty  to  the 
rooms.  In  these  rooms  are  coloured  tiles  for  the 
same  purpose,  —  to  beautify  and  to  adorn.  There- 
fore they  use  colour  on  their  statuary  to  make  it 
harmonize  with  the  tiles.  For  true  beauty  cannot 
exist  without  harmony;  and  harmony  is  sometimes 
gained  through  additions  that,  in  other  surround- 
ings, would  cause  deformity." 


140  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  You  must  speak  still  clearer,  for  I  am  in  no 
respect  an  artist." 

"  Suppose,  then,  that  I  should  paint  the  eyes  and 
hair  of  these  two  figures  of  Esmun  and  Ashtoreth; 
would  it  make  them  more  beautiful?" 

"  I  think  it  would  spoil  a  perfect  work." 

"  That  is  well  said.  These  figures  are  made  to 
be  complete  in  themselves.  But  were  I  to  aim  to 
add  colour  and  brightness  to  a  room  by  means  of 
figures  and  coloured  tiles,  I  must  make  them  har- 
monize. Therefore  I  will  explain  my  riddle  by 
saying  that  the  surroundings  of  a  thing  —  or  of  a 
person  —  often  change  the  requirements  of  per- 
fection. For  example:  Merodach  seated  on  the 
throne  of  Tiglath-Pileser  in  the  city  of  Asshur 
would  be  like  my  two  statues,  complete  in  himself. 
But  Merodach  alone  in  Tyre,  surrounded  by  stran- 
gers and  possible  foes,  is  not  complete.  Therefore, 
that  he  may  harmonize  with  his  new  surroundings, 
it  is  almost  necessary  that  we  should  add  the  friend- 
ship of  Hiram  the  dwarf.  For  you  have  already 
seen  and  met  my  lady  Tanith." 

"  And  that  he  may  learn  more  of  his  new  sur- 
roundings, Merodach  will  now  take  his  leave,"  and 
Hiram  Abif  was  left  alone. 

Again  the  artist  lost  himself  in  reverie  before 
his  creations.  Hiram,  the  king,  knocked  in  vain  for 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     141 

admission ;  for  he  was  accustomed  to  join  with  the 
artist  and  a  few  others  in  a  Sabbath  gathering. 
But  to-day  the  door  was  not  opened,  and  the  king 
gave  over  his  effort  for  admission,  thinking  his 
friend  was  under  one  of  his  evil  spells.  A  little 
later,  came  Hector;  he,  too,  failed  of  admission, 
and  went  away  regretting  his  lack  of  success.  Some 
have  believed  that  these  weekly  meetings  and  talks 
with  the  great  artist  were  the  beginning  of  the 
society  of  Free  Masons. 

By  and  by  the  artist  took  a  sheet  of  papyrus 
and  a  reed  and  began  to  draw.  And  here,  also, 
he  displayed  the  master's  hand.  In  strong,  simple 
outline  he  depicted  himself  bearing  Tanith  in  his 
arms.  In  the  distance  was  a  group  in  which  the 
king,  the  Greek,  and  other  well-known  citizens  of 
Tyre  were  easily  recognizable.  Stopping  —  as  ar- 
tists must  —  to  examine  his  drawing,  something 
in  the  expression  of  Tanith's  face  and  figure  start- 
led him.  "  Muth  spare  her !  "  he  muttered.  "  In- 
stead of  Tanith,  I  have  drawn  her  corpse !  "  Ha- 
stily dipping  his  reed  in  the  pigment,  he  started  to 
correct  his  drawing;  but  he  paused  again,  gave 
a  shrinking  glance  over  his  shoulder,  as  if  expect- 
ing to  see  a  spirit,  and  whispered :  "  Let  be !  let 
be!  it  may  be  a  warning  from  the  gods."  Then 
boldly,  and  devoid  of  the  yet  unknown  principles 


142  A  Captain  of  Men 

of  perspective,  he  inserted  a  marvellous  likeness  of 
Merodach  reaching  to  deprive  him  of  his  heavy 
burden.  Adding  a  few  more  deft  strokes,  he  pro- 
vided the  new  figure  with  the  insignia  of  the  god 
Melkarth. 

"  Is  it  in  this  fashion  you  would  have  him,  O 
Tanith  ?  "  he  cried,  in  impish  glee.  "  Does  your 
insatiable  spirit  yearn  for  gods  as  well  as  for  men? 
But  you  '  would  like  to  display  the  utmost  excel- 
lence' of  my  art!  You  could  not  lie  to  me  so  glibly 
were  we  face  to  face,  Tanith —  Tanith." 

These  last  words,  the  repetition  of  her  name, 
were  uttered  with  indescribable  tenderness.  Slowly, 
as  if  against  his  will,  he  went  to  the  embodiment 
of  his  dreams.  His  hand  reached  out  to  touch  her 
cheek,  his  eyes  shone  mistily  and  yearningly.  "  Of 
a  truth,  it  is  you,  Tanith,  as  I  have  made  you. 
There  is  none  who  knows  you  as  I  do;  and  I,  only, 
know  you  and  love  you  as  you  are.  I  formed  those 
lips,  —  but  they  spoke  to  Merodach.  He  heard 
words  you  have  never  had  for  me.  I  gave  the  curve 
to  those  eyes,  —  but  they  drew  him.  Can  any  other 
know  you  and  form  you  with  my  cunning?  Yet  I 
dare  not  touch  even  the  bronze  which  shapes  your 
form.  .  .  .  Dare  not  ? " 

A  wild,  savage  expression  distorted  his  face. 
He  ran  to  a  corner,  tore  up  a  mass  of  draperies  as 


In  the  Studio  of  Hiram  Abif     143 

a  dog  paws  the  ground,  and  returned  with  a  huge 
hammer.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  he  had  bat- 
tered into  shapeless  bits  the  best  work  his  hands 
were  ever  to  fashion.  Then,  when  all  was  done,  he 
gazed  through  dull  and  heavy  eyes  at  the  destruc- 
tion that  he  had  wrought. 

"  Behold,  Tanith,  I  am  a  god ;  I  can  create, 
and  I  can  destroy.  Yet  you  love  Merodach  as  you 
will  never  love  again." 


CHAPTER   X. 

"  I  WISH  THAT  THOU  WERT  ONLY  THE  GARDENER !  " 

FROM  Hiram's  house  Merodach  returned  to  the 
hut  of  his  friends.  After  arranging  with  Hadad 
to  carry  a  request  to  Miriam  for  a  meeting  on  the 
following  afternoon,  he  borrowed  their  boat  and 
spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  on  the  water,  alone. 

Early  the  next  morning  he  borrowed  some  shek- 
els of  Hadad,  and,  wearing  once  more  his  beloved 
sword  and  cross-belts,  he  chaffered  among  the  shops 
on  the  square  until  he  had  purchased  clothing  to 
correspond  with  his  new  rank  in  Tyrian  society. 

By  ten  o'clock,  according  to  modern  time,  he  had 
changed  his  apparel,  and  was  seated  in  the  ante- 
chamber of  the  king's  palace,  awaiting  his  turn 
amongst  a  miscellaneous  gathering  of  rich  and  poor, 
high  and  lowly. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  the  king  had 
reserved  the  two  hours  just  before  noon  for  the 
hearing  of  complaints,  the  settlement  of  disputes, 

144 


"I  Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  145 

the  righting  of  wrongs,  and  all  the  usual  and  un- 
usual matters  which  required  personal  contact  with 
his  subjects. 

In  Assyria  the  king  was  unapproachable.  Pe- 
titioners were  compelled  to  seek  the  ear  of  the 
grand  vizier,  or  prime  minister,  who  alone  was 
permitted  free  access  to  the  royal  presence.  But 
among  a  mercantile  people,  where  time  was,  as  we 
have  it,  money,  the  ceremonies  were  shorn  and 
neglected.  Caste  was  unknown  in  Phoenicia,  — 
again  for  business  reasons,  as  the  richest  and  noblest 
did  not  care  to  miss  a  chance  of  profit  by  reason 
of  unbusinesslike  pride. 

Merodach  was  interested  by  the  peculiarities  of 
this  democratic  palace.  Instead,  for  instance,  of 
meeting  one  wearing  the  tasselled  apron  and 
fringed  band  depending  from  the  fillet,  and  the  long 
scarf  ending  in  double  streamers  which  fastened 
the  belt  (distinctive  marks  of  the  Assyrian  prime 
minister),  he  and  the  lowliest  Phoenician  subject 
dealt  with  the  king  himself.  Moreover,  there  was 
here  an  absolute  lack  of  favouritism.  He  looked 
in  vain  to  discover  even  one  fat-nosed,  double- 
chinned  eunuch  eager  to  barter  for  the  privilege 
of  instant  admission  into  the  inner  chamber.  On 
the  contrary,  he  was  placed  in  strictest  accordance 
with  his  time  of  appearance,  directly  following  one 


146  A  Captain  of  Men 

apparently  fresh  from  the  shambles  in  the  market. 
As  may  be  believed,  this  was  not  altogether  agree- 
able to  the  lordly  Assyrian.  He  could  descend 
of  his  own  will,  but  he  had  no  sympathy  for  de- 
mocracy. 

Thus  full  forty  minutes  passed  ere  a  page  ushered 
him  through  the  gold-plated  doorway  into  the 
"  Chamber  of  Justice."  And  there  he  met  not  so 
much  the  king  as  a  keen,  busy  man  of  affairs,  a 
king  of  merchants,  who  spoke  in  simple  directness. 

"  I  have  been  requested  by  Esmun  to  give  you 
a  commission  which  will  authorize  your  command 
of  soldiers,  wherever  the  interests  of  his  business 
may  require  it.  In  addition  to  this  commission, 
I  have  for  my  own  pleasure  and  profit  made  certain 
provisions.  With  the  exception  of  the  captains  in 
the  cities  of  Sidonia  proper,  and  of  the  two  colonies 
of  Utica  and  Gadir,  you  are  to  be  second  to  none. 
Already  proclamation  has  been  sent  to  all  our  other 
colonies  that  obedience  shall  be  rendered  you  when- 
ever and  wherever  it  may  be  necessary  to  further 
our  interests  by  the  use  of  bow  and  spear.  In  a 
word,  Merodach,  I  appoint  you  commander  of  all 
my  soldiers,  with  the  exceptions  already  named, 
with  instruction  to  report  to  Esmun  as  my  repre- 
sentative. 

"  Further,   you  have  with  this  appointment   a 


"I  Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  147 

rank  which  will  make  you  second  only  to  the  four 
hundred  princes  and  senators  of  our  realm,  and 
to  the  governors  of  cities  and  colonies.  Proclama- 
tion to  this  effect  shall  also  be  made  to-day  in  the 
Great  Square.  Our  treasurer  shall  be  directed  to 
pay  you  a  salary  which  will  enable  you  to  live  in 
a  manner  fitting  to  your  rank  and  office.  Your 
commission  is  dated  from  the  day  when  you  and 
David  of  Israel  showed  willingness  to  risk  your 
lives  for  Sidonia's  king.  Present  this  order  to  the 
treasurer,  and  he  will  redeem  it  in  gold  and  silver 
of  the  standard  of  Carchemish;  it  is  for  an  amount 
equal  to  one-fourth  of  your  yearly  stipend.  This 
income  will  be  yours  so  long  as  you  retain  your 
present  command.  Have  you  aught  of  objection 
to  offer,  Merodach,  captain  of  my  forces  ?  " 

"  None,  my  lord  the  king;  unless  it  is  that  you 
have  too  well  remembered  what  was  not  worthy 
of  reward." 

"  Were  you  any  other  man,  I  had  settled  my  debt 
with  gold  alone.  It  is  not  my  custom  to  be  careless 
with  men  of  value.  The  grandson  of  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  the  former  commander  of  the  Assyrian 
horse,  the  saviour  of  the  Assyrian  army  in  the 
battle  in  the  mountains,  one  of  the  best  soldiers  of 
his  day,  is  worth  more  than  gold.  It  is  my  purpose 
to  surround  my  throne  with  officers  best  fitted  to 


148  A  Captain  of  Men 

advance  the  welfare  of  my  kingdom.  Again  I  ask 
you,  are  you  indeed  loyal,  Merodach-Pileser,  right- 
ful heir  to  the  Assyrian  throne?" 

"  So  long  as  I  use  the  authority  you  have  given 
me  will  I  be  faithful  to  my  trust.  By  Asshur,  Vul, 
and  Ishtar  of  Arbela,  I  swear  to  serve  you  truly 
and  well.  But  when  I  return  you  this  my  fealty, 
I  will  be  subject  to  none." 

"  It  is  enough,"  returned  the  king.  "  Serve  me 
faithfully  now,  and  while  you  will,  and  the  gods 
will  give  me  wisdom  to  deal  rightly  with  you  when 
you  are  once  more  the  Assyrian  and  come  to  meet 
me,  either  in  peace  or  in  war. 

"  And  now  that  we  have  spoken  frankly,  as  king 
to  prince,  and  inasmuch  as,  for  the  time,  you  are 
become  my  subject,  I  will  show  you  this  map.  It 
will  acquaint  you  with  the  westernmost  portion  of 
our  domains,  the  place  of  your  first  service.  Here 
are  the  Pillars  of  Melkarth ;  beyond  them  —  here 
—  is  Gadir,  near  the  end  of  the  world.  Just  at 
this  point  —  to  the  eastward  —  is  where  our  ves- 
sels must  land  for  tin. 

"Of  late  there  have  been  failures  in  our  ven- 
tures; pirates  have  waylaid  our  ships,  and  inland 
tribes  have  plundered  our  caravans.  Only  a  few 
days  ago  Esmun  received  news  of  a  great  loss,  and 
he  then  determined  to  meet  force  with  force,  to 


"I   Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  149 

place  you  in  command  of  fighting  men,  and  so 
prevent  a  repetition  of  such  damage." 

"  Would  it  not  be  well  that  I  begin  immediately 
to  secure  and  train  my  men?  Give  me  a  few  that 
will  know  my  voice,  that  will  act  together  at  my 
command,  and  they  shall  be  fitted  to  cope  with  a 
multitude  untrained.  Place  also  at  my  use  one  of 
your  galleys,  that  I  may  accustom  myself  and  them 
to  fighting  on  its  deck;  and  grant  me  power  to 
select  my  officers  as  you  have  selected  me." 

A  quick  smile  of  approval  brightened  Hiram's 
usually  grave  face.  "  I  would  that  you  were  not 
the  grandson  of  Tiglath-Pileser ;  I  would  that  you 
were  entirely  mine.  I  have  men  enough,  and  to 
spare;  but  true  soldiers  are  few,  and  we  have  need 
of  leaders  like  you,  able  to  train  and  command." 

"  You  have  pointed  out  this  spot  as  being  the 
place  where  your  ships  land  for  tin.  I  have  been 
told  by  an  old  sailor  that  the  metal  is  delivered  to 
your  caravans  at  a  place  far  inland.  Have  you  on 
this  map  the  country  in  which  it  is  mined  ?  " 

"  We  do  not  know  with  certainty  where  that 
country  lies;  but  I  have  marked  it  as  being  here. 
We  once  had  a  savage  brought  to  Tyre,  who  told 
me  that  the  tin  was  brought  to  his  people  across 
a  narrow  stretch  of  water.  He  said  they  conveyed 
it  up  a  great  river,  and  over  the  mountains  to  our 


150  A   Captain  of  Men 

storehouses.  But  let  us  return  to  your  request  for 
the  use  of  a  galley.  Hitherto  we  have  had  little 
trouble  in  repelling  the  attacks  of  pirates  with  our 
usual  force.  There  was  a  time  when  our  fleets 
covered  the  Great  Sea  from  north  to  south  and 
from  east  to  west.  But  since  the  Greeks  began  to 
dispute  with  us,  we  have,  for  the  sake  of  peace, 
limited  the  path  of  our  voyages  to  the  southern 
route.  By  following  the  coast-line  to  Utica  we 
escape  interference;  struggle  and  battle  should  be 
avoided  by  a  mercantile  people.  But  at  all  haz- 
ards, we  must  get  tin;  it  is  the  true  basis  of  our 
wealth.  The  mines  of  Tarshish  are  practically 
exhausted,  and  we  are  compelled  to  make  this  land- 
ing on  the  northern  coast." 

Merodach  slowly  traced  his  finger  along  the 
map,  through  the  narrow  strait  between  the  Pillars 
of  Melkarth,  beyond  Gadir,  and  into  the  part 
marked  "  End  of  the  World."  Ever  since  he  had 
heard  Chna  relate  his  adventures  while  guarding 
the  caravan  of  tin,  he  had  looked  forward  to  the 
day  when  he  might  ask  the  question  now  trembling 
on  his  lips.  For  this  reason  he  had  stayed  in  Tyre. 
For  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose  he  had 
accepted  any  service  which  would  connect  him  with 
the  richest  merchant  in  Tyre.  Esmun  was  but  a 
stepping-stone  to  something  which  he  was  deter- 


"I   Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  151 

mined  to  do.  He  had  counted  on  months  of  patient 
waiting,  on  months  of  menial  toil;  and  he  had  not 
begrudged  the  price.  He  loved  Miriam,  but  there 
was  something  higher  than  love.  Now,  in  a  mo- 
ment, his  chance  had  come.  So,  with  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  map,  he  quietly  asked : 

"  Is  it  not  possible  for  your  ships  to  sail  to  Gadir 
(Cadiz),  and  to  bear  from  thence  northward  and 
westward  till  they  reach  the  land  of  tin  itself? 
By  so  doing  you  will  gain  the  absolute  monopoly 
of  the  world's  supply." 

"  By  the  Eight  Cabirim !  that  is  a  daring  con- 
ception," exclaimed  the  king,  "  but  impossible  of 
execution.  The  waters  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Mel- 
karth  become  a  mighty  current,  rushing  westward 
to  plunge  headlong  over  the  end  of  the  earth. 
There  are  terrible  spirits  in  that  region,  and  the 
vapours  rise  up  from  the  cataract  and  hide  the  sun 
and  stars  in  blackest  night.  The  bravest  sailors 
would  refuse  to  attempt  such  a  voyage.  Yet  the 
conception  is  a  grand  one." 

"  Have  any  of  your  voyagers  made  such  an  at- 
tempt, and  failed  ?  " 

"  Never ;  there  is  no  reward  too  great  for  him 
who  wiould  dare  those  perils.  There  have  been 
times  when  I  have  questioned  where  all  that  mighty 
mass  of  water  went;  I  have  even  dreamed  of  at- 


152  A  Captain  of  Men 

tempting  the  impossible.  Speak  all  your  mind, 
Merodach,  for  there  is  iron  in  your  blood,  and  your 
will  is  like  tempered  steel." 

"  I  have  listened  night  after  night  to  tales  from 
an  ancient  sailor  till  perils  and  adventures  on  land 
seemed  tame,  unworthy  the  thought  of  a  warrior. 
He  told  me  of  the  dangers  he  had  met  and  over- 
come in  his  youth;  he  mourned  because  there  was 
nothing  in  these  later  days  to  stir  the  blood  of  a 
brave  man.  Yet,  even  while  he  sorrowed  for  the 
past,  he  spoke  of  the  terrors  of  that  unknown  sea, 
and  my  spirit  burned  within  me.  For  I,  too,  de- 
sire to  do  what  man  has  never  done.  Asshur  has 
given  me  power  to  mould  men  to  my  will.  Let  me 
have  them  long  enough,  and  they  become  as  pup- 
pets in  my  hands;  my  will  becomes  their  will,  my 
spirit  their  spirit.  The  time  has  come  for  me  to 
show  you  my  dearest  wish.  Give  me,  before  I  leave, 
a  commission  that  will  empower  me  to  command 
the  sailing-masters  of  what  ships  I  may  choose ;  and 
I  will  sail  northward  and  westward  to  the  land  of 
tin,  or  till  I  am  swept  over  the  end  of  the  earth. 
Give  me  such  a  commission,  and  I  will  find  men 
willing  to  go  with  me." 

"  And  what  shall  be  your  reward  ?  "  asked  the 
king,  gazing  with  hungry  eyes  at  the  map. 

"  The  reward   shall   be   of  your  own   selection. 


"I   Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  153 

Yet,  while  I  am  gone,  you  must  promise  that  no 
evil,  which  you  may  prevent,  shall  come  to  Miriam, 
the  Hebrew  slave  of  my  lady  Tanith." 

"  I  will  make  that  promise  now ;  I  pledge  you 
my  kingly  word  that  I  will  guard  Miriam  till  your 
return  —  or  death.  Now  tell  me,  Assyrian  as  you 
are,  who  taught  you  so  well  to  speak  our  tongue?  " 

"  There  is  little  difference  between  the  speech 
of  Assyrian,  Phoenician,  or  Hebrew."  And  Hiram 
knew  from  the  other's  manner  that  there  was  an 
end  to  that  subject. 

"  I  would  that  I  were  Hiram,  the  dwarf,  that  I 
might  win  a  more  perfect  entrance  into  your  heart," 
he  exclaimed,  moved  out  of  himself.  Then,  seating 
himself  at  a  table,  he  wrote  slowly  and  with  fre- 
quent pauses.  After  which  he  ended  the  interview 
by  saying: 

"  Here  is  the  commission  for  which  you  ask ; 
and  may  your  gods  and  my  gods  watch  between  us 
both,  and  prevent  us  from  disagreement.  For  you 
are  the  only  man  I  ever  met  —  save  David  of  Israel 
—  who  seemed  to  me  a  king." 

"  But  you  have  not  yet  answered  me  concerning 
the  galley  in  which  I  may  train  my  men,"  said  the 
Assyrian,  still  waiting. 

"  Tell  Esmun  it  is  my  will  that  you  be  furnished 
with  all  you  may  require.  You  never  forget  nor 


154  A  Captain  of  Men 

loose  your  hold.  Now  may  Melkarth  watch  over 
you,  Merodach,  for  there  is  an  impatient  crowd  in 
the  other  room.  I  shall  see  you  often  before  you 
leave;  and  you  will  eat  with  me  and  the  prince 
Esmun  here  to-night." 

In  this  manner  Merodach  gained  his  wish  of  the 
king.  But  Hiram  pondered  deeply  the  mystery 
which  seemed  to  veil  the  purposes  of  one  whom  he 
well-nigh  feared.  "  Let  him  discover  a  sea-path 
to  the  land  of  tin,  and  I  will  risk  what  may  there- 
after occur." 

It  was  full  three  hours  past  noon  when  Merodach 
hastened  to  the  spot  he  had  selected  for  his  meeting 
with  Miriam.  Hadad  had  been  successful  in  his 
embassy,  and  Miriam  had  promised  to  be  there 
at  the  appointed  time;  and,  half-hidden  by  the 
foliage,  the  Assyrian  discovered  her,  sitting  by  the 
frothing  waters  of  the  stream  from  the  snows  of 
Lebanon.  It  was  indeed  Miriam,  blushing  and 
happy,  waiting  to  return  to  him  the  golden  disk 
that  he  had  entrusted  to  Hadad  as  his  credentials. 

"  Truly  the  days  have  grown  longer  in  your  ab- 
sence," she  said  when  they  were  seated  together 
on  the  grassy  bank.  "  And  you  are  much  changed, 
Merodach.  Does  my  lord  Esmun  pay  you  enough 
to  provide  you  with  such  splendid  clothing?  And 


"I  Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  155 

do  gardeners  wear  swords?  Fie  on  you!  This 
beauty  is  not  for  me,  the  slave  of  my  lady  Tanith." 

Her  words  were  seemingly  merry,  but  sudden 
fear  had  come  into  her  heart;  she  perceived  in  him 
again  the  air  of  command,  the  lordly  bearing  of 
the  chieftain.  She  felt  that  he  was  not  so  near  to 
her  as  when  he  had  been  Prince  Esmun's  gardener. 
She  feared  that  he  had  tired  of  masquerading,  that 
he  was  ready  to  return  to  his  own  country. 

"  The  king  has  made  me  his  soldier,  and  I  am 
freed  of  service  to  your  mistress.  There  has  been 
much  to  keep  me  from  you,  and  truly  I  have  missed 
you,  Miriam.  Yet  you  appear  lovelier  than  when 
we  parted,  two  days  ago.  You  are  so  white,  like  an 
almond-blossom;  and  your  hair  is  as  shining 
bronze.  I  can  hardly  believe  that  the  blush  on  your 
cheek  and  the  light  in  your  eyes  are  all  for  me, 
and  because  of  my  coming.  Only  yesterday  I  felt 
myself  alone,  a  stranger  in  an  enemy's  land." 

"  So  I  have  lost  my  faithful  gardener,"  smiled 
Miriam ;  "  and  I  am  once  more  alone  and  helpless 
before  the  Assyrian  soldier;  but  my  lady  Tanith 
has  not  now  deprived  me  of  my  veil." 

She  made  a  pretence  of  covering  her  face,  but 
he  prevented  her,  and  they  fell  to  talking  as  lovers 
will,  making  the  veriest  trifles  vehicles  of  their 
affection.  And  because  they  were  lovers,  they  spoke 


156  A  Captain  of  Men 

to  each  other  of  their  childhood's  joys  and  sorrows. 
Miriam  told  of  her  sister,  and  he  endeared  himself 
still  more  by  his  sympathy  and  manly  tenderness. 
While  he,  on  his  part,  hardly  conscious  of  the  ful- 
ness of  his  revelations,  told  her  of  his  boyhood, 
of  his  becoming  a  soldier  under  his  father.  To 
her,  only,  he  felt  willing  to  speak  of  the  counsels 
of  his  grandfather,  of  his  training  and  ambitions. 

"  He  used  to  take  me  from  the  women  and  tell 
me  of  the  marvels  he  had  seen  in  this  western  land ; 
of  the  sea,  its  ships,  and  of  the  great  fish  he  had 
caught.  He  wished  to  make  the  sons  of  Asshur 
the  rulers  of  the  world;  and  he  always  regretted 
that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  make  these  Si- 
donians  his  subjects,  that  he  was  too  old  to  attempt 
their  complete  conquest.  He  comprehended  the 
vastness  of  wealth  such  a  sovereignty  must  bring, 
and  it  was  his  dearest  purpose  that  I  should  be 
trained  and  fitted  for  a  kingdom  embracing  land 
and  sea. 

"  He  even  secured  a  woman  of  Phoenicia  to  teach 
me  its  language  and  writing.  He  even  succeeded 
in  overcoming  the  heedlessness  of  a  child;  for  I 
grew  to  long  to  walk  in  the  path  of  his  ambitions. 
So  I  learned  many  things.  When  I  went  with  my 
father  against  Babylon,  I  was  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner  by  the  foe  he  defeated.  But  I  counted  my 


"I  Wish  Thou  Wert  the  Gardener"  157 

misfortune  a  blessing,  for  I  learned  of  my  captors. 
Later  I  succeeded  in  escaping  to  Ur  of  the  Chal- 
dees;  and  I  became  a  sailor  in  their  puny  ships, 
and  learned  something  of  their  limited  sea. 

"  When  a  man,  full  grown,  I  returned  to  the  city 
of  Asshur  and  learned  of  my  father's  death,  and 
that  Asshur-ab-aram  had  usurped  my  rightful  heri- 
tage; and  I  bided  my  time.  First  I  felt  that  I 
must  fit  myself  in  the  armies  I  meant  to  command. 
So  I  passed  the  years  till  I  met  you,  Miriam.  It 
is  true  that  I  am  now  as  you  see  me ;  but  some  day 
I  will  call  upon  my  people,  and  I  will  set  myself 
face  to  face  with  Hiram  of  Phoenicia  for  the  sover- 
eignty of  the  world. 

"  Why  do  you  appear  so  sad,  Miriam  ?  Is  not 
the  certainty  of  such  a  kingdom  large  enough  to 
bring  you  happiness?  But  it  is  getting  late,  and  I 
must  go  back  to  the  city.  I  have  shown  you  the 
secret  places  of  my  heart.  I  will  be  king,  and  you 
shall  be  my  queen,  and,  together,  we  will  rule  the 
world." 

"  O  Merodach !  "  exclaimed  Miriam,  rising,  "  I 
wish  that  thou  wert  only  the  gardener ! " 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE   PARABLE    WHICH    CHNA    HEARD 

FEW  quiet-minded  citizens  of  Tyre  cared  to  be 
caught  after  dark  in  "  The  Street  of  Taverns,"  a 
narrow,  unsavoury  street  which  climbed  the  hill 
amongst  the  shadows  of  the  northern  wall.  It 
began  just  between  the  substructure  of  the  temple 
court  and  the  wharves  belonging  to  the  arsenal. 
The  king  intended  to  have  it  wiped  out  of  existence, 
so  soon  as  he  had  completed  the  more  necessary 
improvements  already  begun. 

Just  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  almost  a  part  of 
the  wall  itself,  stood  the  "  Tavern  of  the  Jolly 
Dwarfs,"  a  long,  narrow  two-storied  building  of 
massive  construction.  Over  its  principal  entrance 
was  a  piece  of  bronze  work,  let  into  the  stone,  from 
the  hand  of  Hiram  Abif.  It  portrayed  a  vessel,  of 
the  sort  used  in  voyages  to  Gadir,  manned  by  the 
Seven  Cabirim  in  the  last  stages  of  intoxication. 
Of  all  the  taverns  in  Tyre  there  were  few  so  dis- 

158 


The  Parable  Which   Chna   Heard    159 

reputable  as  this  of  the  Jolly  Dwarfs.  Yet  it  was 
there  that  Merodach  had  agreed  to  meet  Hector. 
After  the  Assyrian  had  reported  to  Esmun  for  in- 
structions, Hector  had  been  called  to  join  them,  and 
had  instantly  recommended  the  tavern  for  their 
recruiting-ground.  The  merchant  had  seemed  in- 
clined to  object  to  his  choice,  but  a  significant  glance 
from  his  secretary  decided  him  to  endorse  his  pro- 
posal. . 

The  supper  at  the  palace  used  so  much  time  that 
it  was  approaching  midnight  when  Merodach 
stopped  under  the  light  of  the  dripping  brazier 
before  the  tavern.  Twice,  on  his  way  there,  he  had 
been  compelled  to  resent  the  attentions  of  night- 
prowlers,  and  he  had  a  suspicion  that  the  worst  was 
yet  to  come.  He  was  well  satisfied  in  being  able  to 
enter  the  low  room  without  attracting  attention. 
Seating  himself  on  a  rude  bench  in  an  obscure  cor- 
ner, he  began  to  examine  the  inmates  of  his  queer 
place  of  meeting. 

First  of  all  he  beheld  Hector,  the  drunkest  man 
in  the  room.  He  was  leaning  against  the  shrine, 
before  which  the  sailors  offered  strange  vows  pre- 
paratory to  dangerous  voyages.  Before  him  sat 
two  men  on  something  like  a  throne,  evidently  the 
principals  of  a  gambling  match.  One  of  these  two 
was  a  stranger  to  Merodach,  but  the  other  was  un- 


160  A   Captain  of  Men 

mistakably  old  Chna ;  the  Greek  was  filling  the  hon- 
ourable position  of  umpire. 

These  contests  were  of  nightly  occurrence  in  the 
tavern,  and  were  conducted  under  specific  rules, 
which  were  as  follows : 

The  two  entering  such  a  match  must  select  an 
umpire. 

The  principals  must  place  everything  they  had 
of  value  with  them  in  the  hands  of  the  umpire; 
and  the  match  must  be  continued  until  one  or  the 
other  was  completely  despoiled.  If  one  night  should 
prove  insufficient  to  produce  this  result,  they  must 
continue  their  game  night  after  night  until  the  re- 
quired end  was  accomplished.  These  rules  were 
absolutely  fixed. 

The  two  contestants  were  required  to  sit  with 
their  backs  to  the  umpire,  and  in  full  view  of  their 
audience,  each  holding  his  left  hand  behind  his  back, 
his  right  hand  before  him.  In  regular  turn  each 
would  then  make  a  guess  as  to  the  number  of  fingers 
the  other  had  open  behind  his  back.  The  bets  were 
invariably  one-twentieth  of  the  deposit  each  had 
in  the  umpire's  keeping. 

The  judgment  of  the  umpire  was  final. 

It  was  also  customary  for  the  spectators  to  bet 
among  themselves  upon  the  success  or  failure  of 
the  principals  to  guess  correctly.  But  to-night  there 


The  Parable  Which   Chna   Heard    161 

were  no  outside  wagers;  the  spectators  were  ob- 
taining all  their  enjoyment  through  watching. 

It  seems  that  in  the  beginning  of  this  particular 
match,  Chna  had  steadily  lost.  But  quite  recently 
the  veteran  had  noticed  the  befuddled  condition  of 
the  umpire;  Hector  was  finding  it  difficult  to  count 
the  nimble  fingers  as  they  opened  and  closed  for  his 
decisions.  From  that  moment  the  wily  old  repro- 
bate had  begun  to  cheat  with  most  successful  calm- 
ness. When  he  won,  he  held  his  peace;  but  when 
Hector  thought  he  lost,  he  coolly  claimed  the  de- 
cision, and  bullied  the  umpire  most  effectively. 

Seated  as  he  was,  in  full  view  of  the  audience, 
Chna's  course  was  quite  patent  to  all  save  his  vic- 
tim. The  audacity  of  the  cheat  tickled  the  observ- 
ers, and  their  shouts  of  laughter  were  at  last  be- 
ginning to  make  the  loser  suspicious.  Merodach 
waited,  curious  to  witness  the  ending  of  the  farce, 
or,  what  was  beginning  to  appear  more  probable, 
the  closing  act  of  a  tragedy. 

Indeed,  he  was  almost  tempted  to  warn  Chna 
of  his  danger,  but  that  might  spoil  an  interesting 
episode,  and  he  settled  himself  more  comfortably 
in  his  corner,  just  as  Hadad  put  in  an  appearance 
with  several  women.  This  boisterous  arrival  dis- 
tracted his  attention  for  hardly  a  moment,  yet, 
when  he  looked  again  toward  the  gamblers,  Chna's 


1 62  A   Captain  of  Men 

opponent  had  drawn  his  knife,  and  was  swearing 
that  he  was  being  robbed.  In  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  the  two  were  struggling  together  on  the  floor 
at  the  foot  of  the  gambling-throne. 

Quite  before  any  one  could  interfere,  Chna  had 
his  antagonist  disarmed  and  beneath  his  knee.  At 
the  same  time  Hector  discovered  Merodach,  and 
was  sorely  divided  by  his  combined  attempts  to  ap- 
pear sober  and  to  stop  the  fight.  But  Chna  attended 
strictly  to  his  purpose  of  proving  his  innocence  and 
integrity.  So  when  his  assailant  begged  for  mercy, 
the  old  man  let  him  go  —  minus  an  ear.  Then, 
vowing  half  of  his  ill-gotten  winnings  to  Melkarth, 
—  after  his  safe  return  from  his  next  voyage,  — 
he  put  his  knife  in  its  sheath,  the  severed  member 
in  his  pouch,  and  watched  with  pious  calm  the 
retreat  of  the  defeated  one  through  the  ribald  crowd. 

Soon  he,  too,  saw  Merodach.  Seizing  an  empty 
earthen  jar,  he  seconded  the  Greek's  efforts  to  se- 
cure a  hearing,  and  brought  momentary  silence 
and  attention  by  crashing  it  to  bits  on  the  vacant 
throne.  "  Hector  will  pay  for  the  jar,"  he  sweetly 
promised  the  enraged  innkeeper. 

Hector  thereupon  took  advantage  of  the  silence 
to  introduce  "  his  noble  friend,  my  lord  the  cap- 
tain Merodach."  He  also  reminded  his  audience 
of  the  proclamation  they  had  all  doubtless  heard 


The  Parable  Which   Chna  Heard    163 

that  day  in  the  Great  Square,  and  requested  them 
to  listen  "  while  my  lord  the  captain  spoke." 

Merodach  had  long  since  concluded  that  he  had 
been  brought  to  meet  the  most  perfect  ruffians  the 
city  could  afford.  Yet,  in  accordance  with  the  de- 
sires of  his  employer's  representative,  he  made  a 
brief  statement  of  his  needs,  and  ended  by  inviting 
all  good  men  and  true  to  enlist. 

Hardly  had  he  finished  speaking,  when  a  man 
stepped  into  the  cleared  space  before  him,  and 
asked : 

"  How  big  is  the  pay  offered  by  the  noble  cap- 
tain?" 

"  Half  as  much  again  as  that  now  given  to  reg- 
ular seamen,"  replied  the  Assyrian,  with  inward 
loathing,  but  outward  calm.  For  on  the  man's 
neck  and  arms  were  the  dead-white  blotches  of  the 
leper.  His  scanty  hair  was  of  a  whitish-yellow 
colour,  and  the  end  joints  on  two  fingers  of  his 
left  hand  had  been  eaten  off  by  the  disease.  Be- 
sides this,  the  fellow's  gaze  was  insolent,  and  his 
loathsome  body  was  decked  with  tawdry  finery. 

Every  one  present  appeared  to  know  "  Nathan 
the  leper,"  and  well  they  might,  for  he  was  without 
doubt  the  best  sailor  and  the  biggest  scoundrel  in 
Phoenicia. 


164  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  And  how  many  men  will  you  need  ?  "  he  asked, 
showing  satisfaction  at  the  largeness  of  the  pay. 

"  Two  score  and  ten  at  the  first." 

"  I  will  guarantee  the  entire  number  wanted. 
Set  the  time  and  place  of  our  appearance,  and  they 
shall  all  be  there,  two  score  and  ten  of  the  best  and 
bravest  that  ever  sailed  the  Great  Sea." 

"  You  cannot  do  better,"  whispered  Hector,  well- 
nigh  sober  through  eagerness. 

A  peculiar  smile  passed  over  the  Assyrian's  face. 
"  Surely  I  will  kill  this  Nathan,"  he  said  to  him- 
self;  then  aloud:  "  I  am  certainly  fortunate  in  the 
time  of  my  coming.  You  may  bring  the  men  to- 
morrow morning,  at  the  third  hour,  to  the  ware- 
house of  Prince  Esmun,  near  the  arsenal.  To-night 
you  will  all  drink  as  you  will,  at  my  expense.  But 
when  you  appear  before  me,  you  must  swear  per- 
fect obedience.  For  while  I  can  reward  the  deserv- 
ing, I  have  nothing  but  punishment  for  the  diso- 
bedient." 

Tossing  a  heavy  purse  to  the  obsequious  inn- 
keeper, he  bade  Hector  farewell,  and  left  the  room. 
From  there  he  went  directly  to  his  friends'  hut, 
and  waited  outside  till  Chna  appeared.  But  the 
latter  passed  him  by  without  a  word,  went  inside 
and  lighted  a  lamp,  and  sat  down  on  his  couch. 


The  Parable  Which   Chna  Heard    165 

And  there  the  ancient  sat,  most  aggressively  still, 
until  Merodach  asked : 

"  Are  you  to  be  expected  among  the  volunteers 
in  the  morning?  Are  you  of  the  party  of  Nathan 
the  leper?" 

"  I  am  neither  of  the  party  of  Nathan  the  leper, 
nor  of  any  other  belonging  to  my  noble  lord  the 
captain,"  was  the  surly  response.  "  Yesterday  — 
even  to-day  —  I  was  fool  enough  to  believe  that 
there  was  none  to  compare  with  my  lord,  the  cap- 
tain. But  now  I  know  that  this  man  I  worshipped 
is  no  better  than  a  child  in  the  hands  of  a  drunken 
Greek  and  a  scabby  villain.  I  am  an  old  man; 
I  have  money  enough;  I  care  not  to  win  ill-luck 
with  one  who  places  his  head  in  a  trap.  I  am 
going  to  bed,  my  lord,  the  captain." 

"  You  have  said  too  much,  or  too  little,  Chna. 
Yet  it  may  be  that  you  are  only  drunk." 

Whereupon  Chna  began  to  blaspheme  with  much 
fluency,  while  he  tried  to  evade  the  gaze  which 
seemed  to  mock  him. 

"  Because  I  promised  before  I  had  come  to  know 
you,  and  because  I  was  fool  enough  to  believe  in 
you,  I  will  speak  more  freely.  Before  you  entered 
the  tavern,  Hector  and  Nathan  tried  to  get  Hadad 
and  me  drunk.  You  saw  the  tipsy  Greek;  you 
saw  me  on  the  throne,  and  you  know  that  they 


1 66  A   Captain  of  Men 

failed,  that  I  am,  and  have  been,  sober.  I  tell  you 
plainly  that  they  two  had  a  reason  for  wishing  to 
get  us  drunk.  I  know  that  Hector  had  arranged 
with  the  leper  before  you  came;  that  Nathan  vol- 
unteered for  a  purpose.  Pah !  it  sickened  me  to  see 
you  walk  into  the  pit  they  had  dug.  I  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  you,  Merodach." 

"  Listen,  Chna,  and  I  will  tell  you  a  story.  There 
was  once  a  certain  man  travelling  in  a  strange  coun- 
try. In  the  very  beginning  of  his  journey,  he  had 
a  suspicion  that  some  of  its  inhabitants  had  pur- 
posed his  death.  But  the  faces  of  all  he  met  were 
pleasant,  their  words  were  friendly,  —  but  he  found 
that  pitfalls  were  dug  along  his  path. 

"  Now  it  befell  that  one  day,  toward  evening,  he 
met  a  stranger  coming  toward  him. 

"'Whither  are  you  going?'  inquired  the 
stranger. 

" '  To  such  a  place,'  replied  the  traveller. 

"  '  Then  this  is  the  road  you  seek,'  returned  the 
stranger,  pointing  to  a  narrow  path  which  led 
among  the  trees.  It  was,  by  this  time,  quite  dark, 
but  the  traveller  was  certain  that  he  could  perceive 
the  newly  turned  earth  of  a  pitfall  in  the  way  he 
was  directed.  Nevertheless  he  thanked  the  stranger, 
and  turned  aside  into  the  path  of  his  choosing." 


The  Parable  Which   Chna   Heard    167 

"  And  the  vultures  and  flies  devoured  the  fool," 
chuckled  Chna. 

"  You  are  in  error,  Chna.  The  traveller  hid 
himself  in  the  pit  itself.  There  he  waited  until  the 
stranger  returned  softly  with  his  master,  the  trav- 
eller's secret  foe.  Then  the  traveller's  bow  twanged 
twice,  and  they  two  fell  dead  beside  the  pit  they 
both  had  digged." 

Merodach  ended  his  parable  and  bade  Chna  fare- 
well; but  the  old  sailor  would  not  let  him  go. 

"  It  may  be  that  you  will  see  your  enemies  dead 
beside  their  own  pit;  or  it  may  be  that  you  will 
shoot  your  arrows  against  them  in  vain,  —  the  end 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  gods.  But  whichever  hap- 
pens, you  have  shown  me  that  you  are  even  more 
than  I  thought  you  yesterday.  I  will  go,  or  stay, 
as  you  command  me.  I  will  never  doubt  you 
again." 

Assuring  the  veteran  of  his  desire  to  have  him 
in  his  company,  the  Assyrian  spent  the  night  on 
his  old  couch  in  the  hut.  But  while  he  slept  he 
dreamed.  He  dreamed  that  he  was  hidden  in  the 
pit  of  his  story.  He  beheld  the  moonlight  sifting 
through  the  trees;  he  saw  the  freshly  turned  earth 
of  the  pit.  And  by  and  by  he  heard  stealthy  foot- 
steps; his  enemies  were  coming  to  gloat  over  his 
death.  At  last  he  would  settle  his  suspicions. 


1 68  A  Captain  of  Men 

Carefully  fitting  his  arrow  on  the  string,  he  waited 
till  he  saw  them  step  into  the  moonlight.  His  ar- 
rows went  as  he  directed  them;  his  enemies  fell, 
shot  by  his  hand,  and  he  joyfully  left  his  hiding- 
place  to  learn  who  they  were. 

He  beheld  the  yellow  hair  of  Hector  low  in  the 
dust,  and  he  smiled  at  the  fulfilment  of  his  suspi- 
cions. But  when  he  turned  to  the  other,  the  moon- 
beams fell  upon  the  dead  face  of  the  lady  Tanith. 
She  was  dead  beyond  the  slightest  doubt.  Her 
sightless  eyes  stared  upward,  and  the  rich  colour 
of  her  lips  and  cheeks  was  turning  gray.  There 
was  no  sign  of  life  in  her  face,  yet  it  filled  him 
with  dread.  He  gazed  and  gazed  in  expectation  of 
seeing  the  dead  eyes  fill  with  their  former  mystery 
of  thought,  the  ashen  lips  take  on  the  lines  and 
subtle  curves  which  even  Hiram  had  found  beyond 
his  skill  of  limning. 

Horror  grew  into  his  dream  and  increased  till 
he  groaned  aloud  and  awoke.  Rising,  he  went  out- 
side; day  was  still  lagging  behind  the  eastern  hills, 
but  he  could  not  sleep. 

He  was  also  troubled  by  the  memory  of  his  part- 
ing with  Miriam.  He  had  tried  to  console  the  grief 
his  revelations  had  caused  her.  Her  meeting  with 
David  had  given  her  hope  that,  some  day,  she  might 
return  to  Palestine  with  Merodach.  There  her 


The  Parable  Which  Chna  Heard    169 

cousin  would  make  it  possible  for  her  to  forget  the 
past.  Peace  and  love  would  surround  their  home 
among  the  southern  hills.  She  and  her  lover  would 
learn  of  David's  God,  would  be  free  of  the  horror 
that  clutched  the  land  of  Sidonia. 

Such  had  been  her  dream  before  she  knew  that 
the  Assyrian  intended  to  rule  the  world.  She  never 
doubted  that  he  would  attain  to  his  ambition. 
And  he  desired  her  to  sit  with  him  on  the  throne 
he  purposed  to  win  through  wars  and  slaughter. 
Her  dream  was  quite  destroyed,  and  they  had  sep- 
arated, each  feeling  the  restlessness  that  is  so  often 
the  prelude  of  sorrow.  So  he  kept  his  vigil  on  the 
seashore  till  the  coming  of  day;  and  Miriam  slept 
not  the  long  night  through. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

PREPARATIONS 

NEWS  of  the  coming  festival  had  been  scattered 
far  and  wide.  Occasions  of  such  nature  were  al- 
ways used  for  money-making,  and  the  Great  Square 
was  being  filled  with  booths.  Already  the  streets 
were  crowded  with  strangers,  and  every  vessel 
along  the  coast,  from  Egypt,  from  Greece,  from 
Africa,  came  packed  with  visitors.  Even  the  gov- 
ernor of  Gadir  —  with  many  of  his  subjects  —  was 
on  the  way.  Caravans  were  arriving  from  the 
interior,  and  it  was  truly  said  that  Tyre  was,  for 
the  time  at  least,  the  centre  of  the  world. 

Meanwhile  the  citizens  of  Tyre  were  using  every 
means  possible  to  assure  themselves  of  the  major 
portion  of  the  catch  of  this  mercantile  net.  The 
best  time  of  the  year  for  dyeing  —  just  before  the 
fishes  spawned  —  was  past ;  yet  the  vats  bubbled 
unceasingly,  and  naked,  empurpled  slaves  toiled  at 
them  night  and  day,  while  the  piles  of  murex-shells 

170 


Preparations  1 7 1 

grew  constantly  bigger.  The  merchants  were  sort- 
ing over  their  stocks  with  a  keen  eye  for  getting 
rid  of  goods  hitherto  unsalable,  and  the  idlers  were 
being  dragged  into  the  ranks  of  the  salesmen. 

Thus  a  strong  current  of  excitement  swept 
through  every  rank.  Hadad  worried  his  feminine 
friends  by  reminding  them  that  thousands  of  the 
most  charming  women  from  all  over  the  world  were 
to  be  there.  "  And  they  will  be  freed  of  the  silver 
chains  which  are  wont  to  hamper  their  dainty 
steps,"  he  jeered,  "  and  your  occupation  will  be 
gone.  They  will  walk  the  streets  at  noonday  with 
uncovered  faces;  not  a  veil  will  be  seen,  and  the 
priestesses  of  Ashtoreth  will  smile  on  high  and  low 
alike." 

Perhaps  the  house  of  Hiram,  the  artist,  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  most  people.  Everybody  de- 
sired to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  new  statue  of  Baal- 
Moloch.  Rumour  said  that  it  was  to  be  the  strik- 
ing feature  of  the  feast;  nothing  like  it  had  ever 
been  seen.  Some  declared  that  they  had  seen  parts 
of  it  in  his  room,  and  the  street  before  his  door 
was  always  crowded. 

The  maidens  of  Tyre  were  tending  flowers,  and 
designing  and  making  dresses.  Experimental 
knowledge  was  being  gained  in  face-washes,  in 
methods  of  tiring  the  hair,  in  powders  and  paints; 


172  A  Captain  of  Men 

all  were  anxious  to  outshine  both  friend  and  foe 
by  the  beauty  they  hoped  to  achieve. 

Also  there  were  present,  and  coming,  jugglers 
and  doctors  and  soothsayers  —  and  heaven  knows 
what  —  of  every  school  and  description. 

It  therefore  happened  that  Merodach  had  diffi- 
culty in  threading  his  way  to  the  warehouses  of 
Esmun,  prince,  senator,  and  merchant. 

First  he  stopped  to  behold  a  white-bearded  doc- 
tor exorcise  an  evil  spirit  from  an  afflicted  patient. 
His  height  enabled  him  to  watch  the  performance 
over  the  heads  of  the  spectators.  The  wise  phy- 
sician was  prepared  to  satisfy  the  most  doubting 
of  his  wonderful  powers.  A  basin,  full  of  water, 
was  placed  some  distance  from  his  patient.  When 
the  doctor  applied  his  magic  ring  to  the  nose  of 
the  tormented  one,  the  spirit  would  manifest  his 
flight  by  overturning  the  basin.  The  proof  would 
be  not  only  complete,  but  within  the  comprehension 
of  the  weakest  mind.  The  ring  was  applied,  the 
basin  did  upset  with  a  mighty  splash,  the  sick  or 
possessed  one  ceased  to  rave  and  to  froth;  and  the 
Assyrian  continued  his  course  much  edified  by  the 
advancement  of  the  science  of  healing. 

In  a  few  more  steps,  he  became  one  of  a  group 
surrounding  a  party  of  Arabian  jugglers  and  acro- 
bats. Another  stop  was  made  to  watch  a  snake- 


Preparations  1 73 

charmer  from  the  far  East.  The  dancing-girls  from 
Egypt  detained  him,  and  won  from  him  a  liberal 
gift.  Beyond  them  was  a  booth  devoted  to  articles 
manufactured  by  strange  peoples,  to  what  now 
would  be  termed  "  curios."  Here  were  also  maps 
of  distant  countries,  some  drawn  by  Hiram  Abif, 
and  charts  of  every  sea.  The  Assyrian  paused 
longest  here,  examining  the  pictures  of  monsters 
and  spirits,  of  "  fishes  an  hundred  miles  long,  ex- 
ceeding fierce,"  of  "  horned  giants  many  cubits 
high,  which  do  devour  men,"  and  of  the  "  end  of 
the  earth,  where  the  tempestuous  waters  plunge 
resistlessly  downward,  and  where  malignant  and 
most  fearsome  demons  are  hidden  in  perpetual 
darkness  to  seize  and  to  destroy  the  unwary  mari- 
ner." 

In  these  later  and  more  skeptical  days,  there  are 
some  who  think  that  the  cunning  Phoenicians  made 
it  their  business  to  exaggerate  the  perils  which  be- 
set a  seafaring  life,  in  order  to  dissuade  and  pre- 
vent competition.  But  even  if  that  be  true,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  to  them  the  enchantments  of  the 
sea  beyond  the  straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  especially 
the  belief  in  the  end  of  the  earth,  were  real  and 
terrible. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Merodach,  at  least,  was  willing 
to  pay  an  exorbitant  price  for  the  biggest  and  best 


174  A  Captain  of  Men 

of  these  charts.  But  an  end  came,  even  to  the 
allurements  of  the  Great  Square,  and  he  eventually 
arrived  at  his  destination  a  full  hour  late. 

Nathan  the  leper  was  awaiting  him  there  with 
his  promised  quota  of  men,  among  whom  were 
Chna  and  Hadad.  There,  too,  was  Hector,  heavy- 
eyed  and  the  owner  of  a  racking  headache,  from  the 
dissipation  of  the  preceding  night.  Moreover,  Es- 
mun was  there;  Esmun,  the  man  of  inexorable 
promptness,  the  business  martinet,  was  "  kicking 
his  heels  "  for  the  appearance  of  one  sixty,  or,  it 
might  be,  sixty-three  minutes  late;  and  even  worse 
than  that  was  the  fact  that  the  lady  Tanith  was 
waiting  inside.  Business  was  at  a  standstill,  and 
time  was  unusually  precious  during  these  short  days 
of  preparation. 

Yet  notwithstanding  all  this,  the  merchant  was 
complacent  and  gracious  to  a  degree,  to  the  cause 
of  this  delay,  when  he  finally  did  appear.  Nor 
had  Tanith's  face,  painted  though  it  was,  ever 
seemed  more  alluring  than  when  she  received  the 
salutation  of  the  Assyrian.  Whereat  a  great  and 
wonderful  envy  filled  Hector's  heart;  never  before 
had  the  principals  of  the  house  of  Esmun  over- 
looked the  infringement  of  their  law  of  punctual- 
ity. He  would  have  given  much  for  the  privilege 
of  being  late,  very  late,  that  morning. 


Preparations  1 75 

"  It  is  quite  easy  to  see  that  you  are  not  a  man 
of  business  affairs,  my  lord  Merodach,"  purred  the 
merchant,  with  an  indulgent  smile. 

"  And  is  it  thus  that  thou  wilt  win  for  us  thy 
victories  ?  "  lisped  Tanith,  in  the  frivolous  affecta- 
tion of  fashionable  circles.  For  not  the  slightest 
detail  of  his  garb  and  bearing  had  escaped  her  ad- 
miring notice.  She  was  charmed  by  this  new  as- 
pect of  the  curled  and  perfumed  warrior.  His 
dainty  foppishness  in  some  way  served  to  deepen 
her  belief  in  his  unequalled  daring  and  relentless 
will.  It  was  as  if  she  yearned  for  touch  of  the 
velvet  glove  that  she  might  feel  again  the  iron  hand. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  have  overpassed  the  hour  of 
our  appointment,"  he  carelessly  replied.  "  The 
streets  were  full  of  interest,  and  I  had  much  to 
think  of  while  I  came." 

"  But  now  that  you  are  arrived,  we  will  assemble 
your  company  before  the  shrine  of  the  Cabirim, 
and  have  them  make  the  vow  of  fealty  and  service," 
suggested  Esmun,  indicating  to  the  Greek  that  the 
men  be  assembled. 

"  First  let  me  request  of  the  lord  Esmun  that  he 
show  me  the  weapons  for  my  men.  Afterward  I 
should  like  to  have  him  and  my  lady  Tanith  alone 
with  me  in  the  private  room." 

Without  a  word,  the  merchant  led  him  to  a  room 


176  A  Captain  of  Men 

in  which  were  piled  bronze  swords,  spears,  buck- 
lers, helmets,  and  armoured  shirts  in  abundance. 

"  These  are  all  good,  of  their  kind,"  said  Mero- 
dach,  examining  them  carefully.  "  The  weight  and 
temper  of  these  swords  could  not  be  bettered;  but 
they  are  of  bronze.  It  is  often  possible  for  one 
to  lose  much  by  a  too  careful  consideration  of  the 
cost  of  things.  These  bucklers  and  shirts  of  mail 
are  exactly  what  we  need ;  but  I  would  suggest  that 
you  provide  us  with  steel  swords,  and  that  we  have 
longer  spears.  Some  of  the  wood  in  these  spears 
is  cross-grained  and  brittle;  let  the  new  ones  be 
selected  and  tested  one  by  one,  that  they  may  not 
fail  us  in  our  hour  of  need." 

Esmun  was  quick  to  perceive  the  force  of  the 
soldier's  criticism,  and  he  promised  to  follow  his 
instructions  to  the  letter.  He  was  too  thorough  a 
master  in  his  own  affairs  not  to  be  impressed  by 
proficiency  and  knowledge  in  other  lines. 

A  little  later  they  were  alone  with  the  Assyrian 
in  the  private  room,  and  both  father  and  daughter 
were  curious  to  learn  the  reason  of  their  being 
there. 

"  Last  night,  as  you  doubtless  know,  I  met  your 
representative,  Hector,  at  the  '  Tavern  of  the  Jolly 
Dwarfs.'  In  response  to  my  call  for  volunteers, 
a  certain  Nathan,  called  *  the  leper,'  assured  me  of 


Preparations  177 

two  score  and  ten  good  men.  Your  Hector  im- 
mediately informed  me  that  I  could  not  do  better 
than  to  close  with  the  offer.  The  time  for  prepara- 
tion is  short;  I  am  a  stranger  in  Tyre,  so  I  made 
agreement  to  meet  them  here,  as  you  have  seen." 

"  You  have  acted  promptly  and  well.  This  Na- 
than has  a  large  following;  by  means  of  him  you 
have  saved  yourself,  and  us,  the  delay  of  testing 
and  selecting  unknown  applicants." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  have  you  satisfied,  my  lord ; 
but  now  that  I  have  seen  our  volunteers  by  the  light 
of  day,  I  am  certain  that  there  are  some  among  them 
not  suited  to  our  needs.  There  are  always  some,  in 
such  a  number,  who  are  proven  worthless  after  it 
is  too  late  to  be  rid  of  them.  For  this  reason  I 
would  request  that  we  delay  having  them  take  the 
final  oath  until  just  before  our  departure.  We 
shall,  by  so  doing,  leave  an  opening  for  new  and 
better  men." 

"  Yet  even  then  may  not  the  lord  our  captain  dis- 
cover that  the  new  men  are  not  better  than  the  old  ?  " 
inquired  Tanith.  "  I  have  heard  that  the  time  of 
action  often  presents  many  surprises  and  disap- 
pointments." 

"  That  is  undoubtedly  true ;  but  some  chances 
must  always  be  taken.  I  have  considered  the  sub- 
ject from  every  side.  It  is  my  purpose  to  add  many 


178  A  Captain  of  Men 

more  to  the  number  now  selected.  The  news  of 
our  desire  for  men  will  quickly  spread,  and  soon 
we  shall  have  offers  of  more  than  we  can  use.  Many 
changes  can  be  made,  even  in  the  short  time  at  our 
disposal." 

"  Surely  no  fault  can  be  found  with  so  wise  a 
plan,"  assented  Tanith,  without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation, and  Esmun  said :  "  We  must  prosper  under 
such  careful  guidance.  Is  there  anything  more  to 
be  said,  my  lord  Merodach  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  unless  it  be  that  the  king  assured  me 
of  your  readiness  to  provide  anything  that  I  might 
need  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  my  command. 
If  you  have  no  objection,  I  will  take  these  men  a 
few  miles  to  sea  on  the  third  vessel  on  our  right 
from  the  wharf  before  the  warehouse.  Have  it 
manned  with  rowers,  if  you  will,  and  instruct  the 
sailing-master  to  obey  my  orders." 

Steps  were  instantly  taken  in  accordance  with 
his  request,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Merodach 
and  his  fifty  recruits  were  well  out  at  sea. 

Perchance  some  would  be  interested  in  follow- 
ing each  movement,  and  in  hearing  each  word  of 
this  master  of  discipline;  but  many  would  be 
wearied  by  such  description.  It  will,  therefore, 
suffice  to  record  that  Nathan  the  leper  and  all  his 
motley  crew  soon  learned  that  they  were  under 


Preparations  1 79 

an  eye  that  detected  the  slightest  error,  that  over- 
looked nothing,  no  matter  how  trivial.  Soon,  also, 
they  marvelled  at  his  unfailing  patience,  the  simple 
directness  of  his  explanations,  the  minutiae  of  his 
knowledge. 

Sailors  as  they  were,  they  were  quick  to  acquire 
the  quality  of  place,  the  ability  to  attend  each  to 
his  own  particular  work.  Yet  while  some  were 
inspired  to  greater  proficiency  by  commendations 
won  by  alert  diligence,  there  were  many  irritated 
by  what  to  them  was  the  petty  severity  of  the  mar- 
tinet. To  men  of  this  class,  great  patience  appeared 
no  more  than  as  a  cloak  for  timidity.  One,  in 
particular,  grew  tired  of  obedience ;  Hanno  deemed 
it  a  small  thing  to  show  his  disgust  at  the  methods 
of  his  new  commander. 

This  disgust  culminated  in  open  rebellion  late 
in  the  afternoon.  A  short  rest  had  been  granted 
the  men,  and  they  were  sitting  and  lounging  in  their 
several  places,  some  thinking  of  nothing,  others 
conscious  only  of  their  wish  for  a  longer  rest.  The 
sharp  call  "  to  quarters  "  rang  through  the  ship, 
and  they  sprang  like  one  man  to  their  feet,  all  but 
one;  Hanno  lounged  motionless  in  sullen  anger. 

Merodach  had  not  failed  to  comprehend  the  in- 
cipient stages  of  Hanno's  disgust.  On  the  contrary, 
he  had  marked  the  man  as  a  fit  subject  for  discipline. 


180  A  Captain  of  Men 

But  as  if  he  had  no  expectation  of  being  disobeyed, 
he  quietly  admonished  the  laggard  to  rise. 

"  It  pleases  me  to  sit,"  responded  the  fellow,  with 
an  insolent  laugh. 

"  Throw  him  into  the  sea,"  commanded  Mero- 
dach  of  Nathan,  softly,  but  so  distinctly  as  to  reach 
every  man  in  the  ship. 

Nathan  hung  an  instant  irresolute,  for  the  cap- 
tain had  carelessly  gone  to  another  part  of  the  ves- 
sel. But  finally  the  leper  touched  Hanno  on  the 
shoulder,  and  made  a  half-hearted  effort  to  move 
him.  At  which  the  venom  in  the  rebel  vented  it- 
self in  curses  and  a  more  flagrant  insubordination. 
He  even  went  so  far  as  to  throw  Nathan  to  one 
side,  and,  placing  himself  before  his  chief,  he  began 
to  curse  him  to  his  face.  The  ruffian  was  of  excep- 
tional strength  and  weight,  but  Merodach  caught 
him  by  the  waist  and  tossed  him  over  the  bulwarks. 
Then,  turning  to  his  startled  company,  he  pro- 
ceeded with  the  drill,  quite  regardless  of  the  wretch 
swimming  heavily  in  the  wake  of  the  ship.  Daunted 
by  this  new  feature  in  their  captain's  methods,  the 
most  daring  and  restless  became  convinced  that 
wisdom  did  not  lie  in  mutiny. 

Immediately  after  they  reached  the  wharf,  the 
men  were  dismissed  for  the  night,  as  their  com- 
mander did  not  wish  to  draw  the  lines  of  discipline 


Preparations  1 8 1 

too  tight  in  the  beginning.  He  also  knew  that  such 
a  course  would  permit  them  to  talk  with  others  of 
the  enterprise,  and  thus  bring  him  more  volunteers. 
Nor  was  he  disappointed  in  this,  as  the  very  next 
morning  gave  him  the  pick  of  at  least  forty  appli- 
cants, all  young  and  adventurous.  Consequently, 
it  was  not  long  before  Merodach,  as  he  had  prom- 
ised, had  requests  for  enrolment  from  many  more 
than  he  could  use.  In  three  days  he  increased  his 
force  to  quite  six  score  men,  thirty  of  whom  were 
skilled  in  the  use  of  the  bow ;  and  this  in  spite  of  the 
loss  caused  by  desertions,  dismissals,  and  resigna- 
tions. Of  this  number,  and  with  what  new  ones 
he  might  select,  he  intended  to  provide  himself  with 
a  final  complement  of  one  hundred  swords,  abso- 
lutely of  his  own  choosing. 

Among  these  losses  was  not  that  of  Nathan,  the 
leper;  he  did  not  resign,  nor  was  he  dismissed. 
Yet  it  may  be  noted  that  no  sooner  had  he  liberty, 
on  that  first  evening  of  his  employment,  than  he 
hunted  up  Hanno,  who  was  still  wet  and  furious 
from  his  recent  bath.  Although  there  are  no  rec- 
ords of  the  argument  Nathan  used,  it  is  known 
that  Hanno  saw  Merodach  early  on  the  following 
day  and  begged  for  reinstalment  in  the  corps.  But 
the  captain  flatly  refused,  stating  publicly  that  there 
was  no  forgiveness  for  open  rebellion.  "  You  vol- 


1 82  A   Captain  of  Men 

unteered  of  your  own  will,"  he  said ;  "  you  joined, 
knowing  that  obedience  is  the  basis  of  service  and 
of  success.  You  deliberately  refused  to  obey.  Hec- 
tor, the  secretary,  will  pay  you  for  one  day  of  ser- 
vice. If  you  value  your  own  comfort,  you  will 
keep  yourself  out  of  my  sight.  You  are  worthless 
as  a  soldier." 

No  one,  not  even  Nathan,  was  willing  to  speak 
in  Hanno's  defence,  and  the  man  slunk  away,  fol- 
lowed by  the  jeers  of  the  entire  company.  The 
effect  of  his  warning  was  so  marked  that  Merodach 
mourned  inwardly  over  the  excellence  afterward 
displayed  by  the  leper.  He  could  not  find  a  single 
fault  in  Nathan  to  criticize,  so  he  was  compelled  to 
bide  his  time,  for  there  was  no  doubt  that  Nathan 
must  die  before  they  sailed  for  the  distant  west. 

As  might  be  expected,  Chna  and  Hadad  were  no- 
ticeable for  their  zeal  and  loyalty.  Of  course  the 
veteran  grumbled  and  blasphemed  when  he  got  back 
to  his  hut  from  that  first  drill,  and  called  all  his 
gods  to  witness  that  he  loathed  a  martinet.  But 
no  one  reported  for  duty  before  Chna  on  the  next 
morning.  Day  by  day  he  learned  the  value  of 
prompt,  combined  action;  he  beheld  the  company 
develop  toward  the  fighting  machine  it  finally  be- 
came, and  he  swore  to  himself  that  the  Assyrian 
was  the  king  of  chieftains.  Both  he  and  Hadad 


Preparations  183 

surmised  that  their  leader  was  one  likely  to  do  more 
than  was  dreamed  of  by  his  employer,  and  they 
often  discussed  in  secret  their  conviction  that 
strange  adventures  would  befall  them  before  they 
had  finished  their  voyage. 

Determined  as  he  was  to  lose  no  chance  that 
might  help  him  to  accomplish  his  purpose,  Mero- 
dach  used  every  moment  of  daylight  in  training 
his  men;  but  his  nights  were  his  own.  Since  the 
day  of  his  introduction  to  Hiram  Abif,  he  had 
grown  into  the  habit  of  spending  his  evenings  with 
him.  Often  the  artist  would  be  working  over  some 
new  design,  or  perfecting  the  details  of  some  ar- 
tistic invention.  At  such  periods  the  Assyrian 
would  settle  himself  where  he  could  utilize  the  one 
place  where  he  was  permitted  the  opportunity  for 
undisturbed  thought.  To  make  this  more  possible, 
the  artist  had  cleared  an  inner  room,  where  his 
friend  might  retire  in  the  event  of  other  visitors 
to  the  master  of  the  house.  This  was  so  great  a 
boon  to  Merodach  that  it  ended  in  his  accepting 
Hiram's  generous  and  hearty  invitation  to  make  the 
room  his  home. 

Frequently  there  were  hours  when  the  artist 
denied  himself  to  all,  periods  of  gloom  and  depres- 
sion when  he  appeared  to  loathe  his  kind,  days 
when  his  temper  was  of  such  nature  as  to  make 


184  A  Captain  of  Men 

himself  and  others  believe  that  he  was  possessed  of 
an  evil  spirit.  On  one  of  these  days  Merodach  had 
tried  to  serve  his  friend  by  means  of  companion- 
ship; but  he  had  been  so  tempted  to  exorcise  the 
evil  one  by  strangling  the  altogether  impish  dwarf, 
as  to  cure  him  of  any  wish  to  repeat  the  experiment. 

Fortunately,  these  spells  were  not  frequent  in 
the  intercourse  which  daily  strengthened  the  cords 
of  their  mutual  esteem  and  friendship.  Each  had 
genius  after  his  kind,  and  each  was  attracted  by 
qualities  in  the  other  in  which  he  felt  himself  lack- 
ing; and  this  fellowship  was  especially  grateful 
to  the  sensitive  dwarf.  The  respect  of  one  blessed 
with  physical  perfection,  unmarred  by  any  appear- 
ance of  pity,  was  as  balm  to  his  tortured  spirit. 

Late  one  afternoon  it  happened  that  Tanith  had 
need  of  some  bit  of  decoration  that  she  had  ordered 
of  the  artist.  Miriam  was  with  her,  and,  as  she  did 
not  wish  to  trust  the  gem  to  careless  hands,  and  had 
no  suspicion  of  whom  she  would  meet,  she  unwit- 
tingly sent  Miriam  to  wait  with  Merodach  while  the 
artist  was  away  from  home.  The  way  of  a  maid 
with  a  man  was  a  mystery  then  as  now.  Miriam 
was  provided  with  a  method  of  meeting  her  lover, 
and,  somehow,  she  contrived  to  have  her  mistress 
send  her  to  Hiram's  studio  three  times  that  week. 
It  was  most  wonderful  how  she  divined  when  the 


Preparations  1 85 

artist  was  not  at  home,  and  how  she  managed  to 
be  sent  at  just  such  times. 

Merodach  was  thus  enabled  to  learn,  by  here 
a  word  and  there  a  suggestion,  the  spirit  of  her 
hopes  and  fears.  Often  he  mused  upon  the  differ- 
ence he  perceived  in  her,  as  he  compared  her  with 
the  women  that  he  had  hitherto  known.  For  he  had 
even  meditated  over  the  policy  of  having  Miriam 
for  his  concubine,  only  to  learn  of  the  folly  possible 
to  the  most  calculating  of  men.  Fortunately,  he 
discovered  his  mistake,  and  was  glad  that  he  had 
not  let  her  suspect  the  nature  of  his  project. 

Thus  his  cool,  scheming  mind  was  brought  to  a 
careful  measurement  of  his  love  for  her,  as  it  should 
affect  his  ambition.  The  problem  was  much  harder 
to  solve  than  he  imagined,  for  this  was  the  first 
seed  of  true  love  that  had  ever  found  lodgment  in 
his  heart.  He  had  yet  to  learn  that  such  plants 
take  strong  hold  downward  before  they  begin  to 
bloom,  that  knowledge  of  genuine  love  comes  to 
most  men  only  after  it  has  become  rooted  very 
deeply.  So  while  this  love  for  Miriam  was  quietly 
growing  into  the  fibre  of  his  soul,  he  deemed  it 
so  feeble  as  to  justify  him  in  considering  whether 
his  wiser  course  would  not  be  to  ignore  it;  for 
Tanith  was  surely  his  if  he  wished  to  have  her. 

And  thus  we  are  brought  to  the  manner  in  which 


1 86  A  Captain  of  Men 

he  dealt  with  Tanith  herself.  It  should  be  known 
that  she  was  his  hostess  on  each  Sabbath  night  be- 
fore the  festival.  There  is  also  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  my  lady  saw  to  it  that  nothing  should  prevent 
these  Sabbath  meetings;  for  when  man  is  willing, 
and  woman  is  determined,  there  is  seldom  uncer- 
tainty in  the  result. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE    FEAST    OF    BRANDS 

IN  future  the  king  intended  to  have  the  Feast 
of  Brands  —  or  of  Torches  —  occur  earlier  in  the 
spring.  But  this  year  he  had  delayed  it,  as  has 
been  said,  until  certain  improvements  had  been 
completed. 

Now  when  all  was  ready  for  the  festivities,  the 
"  city  of  palaces  "  was  literally  packed  full  of  peo- 
ple, and  the  sound  of  flutes,  of  cymbals,  and  of 
all  kinds  of  musical  instruments  had  become  con- 
tinuous. Bullocks  and  sheep  were  being  sacrificed 
in  countless  numbers.  Trained  choirs  from  Gebal 
passed  through  the  streets,  chanting  the  sacred 
hymns  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  —  indeed,  it 
is  said  that  these  priests  of  Gebal  have  the  honour 
of  first  using  hymns  in  religious  ceremonies.  Pro- 
cessions of  all  kinds  filled  the  streets  and  added  to 
the  tumult;  while  above  everything  else  rose  the 

insistent  clamour  of  vendors  and  salesmen. 

187 


1 88  A  Captain  of  Men 

There  were  offerings  innumerable  and  of  untold 
value;  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  and  frankin- 
cense were  lavished  upon  the  gods.  The  temple  was 
crowded  by  the  faithful ;  there  were  tame  lions  and 
leopards  in  its  court;  and  its  fish-ponds  were  full 
of  sacred  fishes.  Great  trees  had  been  brought  down 
from  the  mountains  and  placed  in  the  court  to  hold 
a  certain  kind  of  offerings.  These  gifts,  for  sins 
of  the  past  and  sins  to  be  committed,  were  hung  on 
the  branches  of  the  trees.  Piles  of  scented  chips, 
covered  with  pitch,  were  heaped  about  their  trunks, 
and  gifts  and  sins  and  trees  would  be  consumed  in 
sacred  fire. 

Merodach  had  the  secret  of  knowing  when  to 
relax  the  bonds  of  discipline.  His  men  were  now 
practically  unfit  for  duty,  so  eager  were  they  to 
plunge  into  the  whirlpool  of  excitement.  There- 
fore he  gave  them  liberty  for  three  days,  with 
stringent  instructions  to  report  for  duty  on  the 
next  succeeding  morning. 

The  happenings  and  diversions  of  the  festival 
were  so  varied  as  to  exceed  description ;  but,  as 
night  fell,  everybody  made  final  arrangements  for 
the  ceremony  of  the  brands.  Hiram  Abif  led  Mero- 
dach to  the  roof  of  his  house,  provided  him  with 
a  brand  covered  with  pitch,  and  left  him  there  to 
watch  the  beginning  of  the  feast. 


The  Feast  of  Brands  189 

The  night  was  warm  and  beautiful.  Overhead 
were  the  stars  of  Syria  and  the  new  moon  in  a 
perfect  sky.  Below  him  were  the  crowded  streets, 
absolutely  void  of  light  and  sound.  Even  the  lights 
of  the  ships  were  out,  and  the  huge  braziers,  which 
served  as  a  lighthouse  on  the  island's  northern  point, 
were  deprived  of  their  fire.  The  shadows  of  the 
great  buildings  were  almost  impenetrable,  and  the 
people  were  hushed  in  breathless  suspense.  Only 
the  eternal  fire  on  the  altar  of  Baal-Melkarth  was 
permitted  to  burn,  and  about  it  were  thick  veils 
and  ranks  of  silent  priests;  all  was  darkness  and 
waiting. 

Finally  the  voice  of  the  high  priest  broke  the 
awesome  stillness,  droningly;  the  priests  chanted 
response.  A  flash  of  light  showed  that  a  torch 
had  been  lit  at  the  altar,  and  instantly  flame  leaped 
from  torch  to  torch,  the  court  of  the  temple  ap- 
peared billowing  fire,  and  a  great  volume  of  song 
rose  upward. 

Again  the  high  priest  droned,  the  priests  chanted 
response,  and  a  line  of  tossing  torches  passed  before 
the  lofty  portico,  and  through  a  lane  between  the 
multitude  to  the  Great  Square,  where  the  procession 
halted.  There  followed  a  blast  of  trumpets,  a  crash 
of  flutes  and  cymbals,  of  sackbut  and  psaltery, 
and  suddenly  naked  runners  sped  down  the  streets, 


190*  A   Captain  of  Men 

bearing  the  sacred  fire.  From  all  that  waiting  peo- 
ple leaped  a  thrilling  shout;  every  torch  was  soon 
blazing,  and  the  smoke  and  heat  ascended  as  from 
a  vast  furnace. 

No  sooner  were  the  torches  lit  than  the  artist 
appeared  to  take  Merodach  to  the  temple.  They 
were  granted  an  easy  passage  through  the  crowds, 
as  all  made  way  for  the  designer  of  the  new  Moloch. 
Quickly  they  became,  as  it  were,  the  crest  of  the 
wave  of  humanity  which  was  sweeping  as  if  to 
overwhelm  the  very  temple  itself.  The  Assyrian 
wondered  if  they  would  be  able  to  find  room  in 
which  to  stand,  so  dense  was  the  throng;  but  Hiram 
conducted  him  into  the  portico,  and  they  were  com- 
fortably stationed  at  ai  window  overlooking  the 
temple  court. 

"  You  will  miss  here  a  full  view  of  the  '  sacri- 
fice of  the  calves,'  "  said  he,  carelessly.  "  But  that 
will  not  matter,  as  they  are  really  but  children  of 
slaves.  In  all  other  respects  you  will  find  this  an 
admirable  view-point." 

Then  he  began  to  point  out  the  various  arrange- 
ments which  had  been  made  to  accommodate  their 
guests.  To  the  right  of  the  court  were  the  senators, 
colonial  governors,  and  officials;  to  the  left  were 
the  leading  merchants  of  Sidonia,  grouped  in  ac- 
cordance with  their  respective  lines  of  trade.  Be- 


The  Feast  of  Brands  191 

hind  them  were  sailing-masters  of  ships,  and  still 
farther  back  were  skilled  artificers,  workers  in  metal, 
glass-blowers,  potters,  moulders,  stone-cutters,  etc. 
Beside  the  priests,  and,  in  a  sense,  a  part  of  them, 
was  the  choir  from  the  sacred  college.  There,  also, 
were  the  white-robed  ranks  of  flute-players,  the  play- 
ers upon  cymbals  and  stringed  instruments.  Be- 
yond these,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  in  the 
streets  and  on  the  buildings  were  people,  struggling, 
pushing,  fighting  for  places. 

The  heat  of  burning  torches,  the  smoke  and  bitu- 
minous smell,  were  almost  stifling.  The  chanting 
of  priests  and  the  incessant  rhythm  of  shrill  music 
struck  responsive  chords  in  the  hearts  of  the  listen- 
ers, and  roused  them  gradually  to  peculiar  excite- 
ment. The  religious  side  of  this  strange  people 
became  uppermost.  They  forgot  their  greed,  their 
inordinate  desire  of  gain;  for  the  horror  always 
brooding  in  the  heart  of  each  was  loosed  and  domi- 
nant. They  were  engulfed  in  the  orgies  of  super- 
stition. 

The  trees  which  bore  their  offerings  were  lighted 
and  blazed  up  in  leaping  flames.  Streams  of  blood 
ran  from  the  altars ;  the  sound  of  singing  and  music 
rose  higher  and  shriller.  Signs  of  frenzy  appeared 
among  the  priests  and  people ;  a  vast  surging  move- 
ment seized  their  swaying  bodies,  and  many  uttered 


192  A   Captain  of  Men 

fierce,  inarticulate  cries.  The  heat  of  closely  packed 
bodies  ascended  to  their  brains.  Some  began  to 
leap  and  dance  around  the  two  Asherim,  —  the 
sacred  trees,  —  and  the  circle  grew  and  extended 
till  one  could  see  everywhere  tossing  arms  and 
torches,  and  wild  eyes  below  flower-decked  brows 
and  streaming  hair.  The  music  swelled  to  well- 
nigh  unbearable  volume;  then  sudden  silence  fell, 
and  the  multitude  stood  motionless,  gazing  upward 
at  the  roof  of  the  portico. 

Immediately  the  high  priest  chanted: 

"  O  Baal  Melkarth  of  Tyre, 
O  Baal  Melkarth  of  the  two  Sidons, 
O  Baal  Ashtoreth  of  the  two  Sidons,  — 
Hear!" 

And  the  hosts  of  priests  responded: 

"  For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great,  — 
O  Baal  Melkarth  !     O  Baal  Ashtoreth  ! 
Hear!     Oh,  hear!     Oh,  hear!" 

Again  the  voice  of  the  high  priest,  chanting: 

11  The  blood  of  bullocks, 
The  blood  of  goats,  — 
Also  our  gifts  in  the  flames  of  the  blazing  trees ; 


The  Feast  of  Brands  193 

Also  sweet  savour  of  incense, 
Frankincense  and  myrrh 
We  offer,  O  Baal  of  Tyre, 
Baal  Melkarth  and  Baal  Ashtoreth  1 " 


And  the  priests  returned: 

"  For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great,  — 
O  Baal  Melkarth  !     O  Baal  Ashtoreth  ! 
Hear!     Oh,  hear!     Oh,  hear!" 

And  during  the  silence  which  followed  this  chant 
of  the  priests  the  entire  people  seemed  turned  to 
stone,  so  still  were  they.  Above  the  court,  sixty 
cubits  high,  stood  the  high  priest  on  the  roof  of 
the  portico;  and  every  face  was  rigid,  upturned 
to  see  him.  So  terrible  was  this  silence  that  a  great 
sigh  burst  from  the  watchers'  breasts,  when  he 
shrilly  wailed: 


"  Dost  thou  not  hear,  O  Baal  of  Tyre  ? 
Dost  thou  not  hear,  O  Baal  of  the  two  Sidons  ? 
Art  thou  asleep,  O  Baal  of  Tyre? 
Art  thou  asleep,  O  Baal  of  the  two  Sidons  ? 
Then  bring  we  calves,  O  Baal  of  Tyre ; 
Young  calves,  O  Baal  of  the  two  Sidons ; 
Firstlings,  unblemished,  fat  young  calves, 
O  Baal  Melkarth !     O  Baal  Ashtoreth !  •• 


194  A   Captain  of  Men 

Whereupon  the  priests  chanted  the  cry: 

'«  For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great, 
For  thy  mercy  is  great,  — 
O  Baal  Melkarth !     O  Baal  Ashtoreth  ! 
Hear !     Oh,  hear  !     Oh,  hear ! " 

Instantly  a  tempest  of  music,  a  fury  of  rhythm, 
burst  over  the  mighty  concourse.  Tossing  torches 
lit  faces  convulsed  and  yearning;  and  once  more 
that  writhing,  swaying,  pulsing  movement  swept 
through  that  vast  assemblage,  faster  and  faster, 
while  cries  of  passion  sounded  shriller  and  higher. 
A  woman  leapt,  dancing  and  singing,  into  an  open 
space;  her  flower-decked  hair  streamed  like  writh- 
ing snakes;  her  eyes  were  unseeing  and  turned 
upward,  and  there  was  foam  at  the  corners  of  her 
writhing  lips. 

"  Behold  thy  cow,  O  lord  of  Tyre  ! 
Behold  the  calf  I  give  thee,  O  lord  of  Tyre ! 
My  first  born,  my  only  born,  my  well-beloved,  — 
Tis  thine  !     'tis  thine !     'tis  thine !  " 

she  sang,  and  threw  her  arms  aloft.  She  laughed 
and  leapt;  the  priests  chanted,  the  music  shrilled; 
and  the  high  priest,  on  the  roof,  displayed  in  one 
hand  her  child,  in  the  other  a  bag  of  skin.  Plac- 
ing the  child  in  the  bag,  he  cast  it  down  on  the 


The  Feast  of  Brands  195 

court  at  the  mother's  feet,  and  the  people  went 
mad.  Another  woman  sang  her  offering,  another 
and  another,  while  the  "  calves  "  fell  fast  from  the 
high  priest's  hands. 

A  flute-player  tore  off  his  linen  robe,  sprang 
naked  among  the  singing  mothers,  and  began  to 
cut  himself  with  pointed,  jagged  shards,  strewn 
there  for  the  purpose.  Streams  of  blood  ran  down 
his  breast  and  arms  to  the  pavement.  Others  joined 
him,  and  the  place  seemed  full  of  bleeding,  howl- 
ing, leaping,  naked,  frenzied  figures.  The  pave- 
ment became  slippery  with  blood,  and  many  fell; 
many  were  burned  by  torches,  many  lay  senseless 
beneath  the  feet  of  the  delirious  dancers.  The 
tumult  caused  by  the  singing,  the  shouting,  and  the 
musical  instruments  was  overwhelming.  Naked 
men,  covered  with  wounds  and  blood,  ran  from 
the  court  into  the  streets,  and  women  and  girls  rent 
their  garments  and  clothed  them  in  female  rai- 
ment; for  when  a  woman  helped  to  clothe  these 
men,  she  was  assured  of  the  blessing  of  love  and 
barrenness. 

Fascinated,  full  of  a  strange  excitement,  yet  hor- 
rified and  loathing  the  sight,  Merodach  beheld  it 
all.  He  had  witnessed  the  "  Babylonian  Rites," 
he  had  seen  the  virgins  painted  and  decked  with 
flowers,  sitting  ready  for  the  first  stranger  willing 


196  A  Captain  of  Men 

to  enjoy  them.  He  had  perceived  the  sorrow,  the 
wistfulness,  the  shame  of  those  not  chosen  after 
they  had  waited  one,  two,  three  years  for  the  de- 
grading choice;  and  he  had  had  no  sense  of  horror 
in  the  sight.  But  the  voluntary  destruction  of  their 
offspring,  the  laceration  of  their  bodies,  the  bes- 
tiality of  the  Phoenicians,  thrilled  him  with  disgust. 
He  turned  to  Hiram,  the  man  of  commanding  in- 
tellect, the  excelling  artist,  and  the  eyes  of  the  dwarf 
were  fierce  and  shining,  like  those  of  a  hungry 
beast.  He  beheld  the  face  of  the  king  as  he  sat 
on  his  throne  in  the  court,  and  it  was  new  to  him 
in  its  ferocity.  He  hated  the  sight,  yet  the  smell 
of  blood,  the  fumes  of  bodily  heat,  the  fury  of  the 
writhing,  whirling  people,  dizzied  his  brain;  it  was 
all  he  could  do  to  restrain  his  impulse  to  leap  from 
the  window,  to  cut  himself,  to  cry  out,  to  be  as 
they  were. 

"  Asshur  is  greater  and  wiser  than  thy  gods,  O 
Hiram;  as  the  children  of  Asshur  are  mightier 
than  the  children  of  Sidonia,"  he  sternly  muttered. 
"  We  rend  not  the  bodies  of  the  children  of  Asshur 
in  his  worship.  We  destroy  the  enemies  of  our 
gods,  not  their  worshippers.  We  will  yet  conquer 
and  rule  the  world,  because  we  preserve  ourselves  in 
his  service." 

"  These  are  but  the  children  of  slaves,"  snarled 


The  Feast  of  Brands  197 

the  dwarf.  "  Yet  when  calamity  hangs  over  our 
land,  when  the  gods  are  angry,  we  will  give  freely 
of  our  best.  We  are  ready  to  die  for  our  land 
if  need  be,  O  selfish  Assyrian." 

"  Ye  shall  die  for  us,"  retorted  Merodach,  grimly. 
But  the  artist  did  not  hear  him. 

"  Stay  here,"  he  wildly  cried ;  "  for  I  must  attend 
to  the  god  Baal-Moloch." 

So  Merodach  remained  there  alone,  and  watched 
until  he  saw  the  purple  curtains,  which  had  veiled 
part  of  the  court,  fall  to  the  pavement,  and  heard 
the  acclamations  that  greeted  the  new  image  of  the 
fiery  god. 

Red-hot  it  stood,  an  image  of  bronze ;  a  gigantic 
man  with  the  head  of  an  enormous  bull.  Behind 
the  head  were  golden  rays,  as  of  the  sun,  the  scorch- 
ing sun  of  drought  and  famine.  Seven  times  heated 
was  the  hollow  image,  and  its  eyes  blazed  balefully 
because  of  the  flames  within. 

u  O  Baal  Moloch  of  the  scorching  breath, 
O  Baal  Moloch  of  the  fiery  heat, 
O  Baal  Moloch  great  and  terrible, — 
Hear!     Oh,  hear!     Oh,  hear!" 

sang  the  priests,  as  the  fiery  blast  rushed  over  the 
court. 

Groups  of  women  circled  round  the  horrid  god, 


198  A   Captain  of  Men 

each  bearing  in  her  arms  a  child,  each  singing  and 
dancing  in  hideous  abandon.  Suddenly  a  priest 
darted  to  one,  caught  from  her  her  child,  and  placed 
it  in  the  monster's  arms;  the  clank  of  machinery 
was  heard,  the  arms  were  slowly  raised,  a  great 
hole  opened  in  Moloch's  breast,  and  the  child  rolled 
down  into  the  image  and  was  consumed.  The  cere- 
mony was  repeated  again  and  again;  the  smell  of 
burning  flesh  grew  stronger,  the  machinery  clanged 
louder  and  faster. 

This  was  something  new  in  Tyre,  for  hitherto 
the  arms  of  the  god  had  been  motionless,  and  the 
victims  had  rolled  from  them  downward  into  an 
open  fire  at  its  feet.  Consequently  this  new  in- 
vention of  Hiram  Abif  roused  the  spectators  to  the 
extreme  of  admiration  and  excitement.  And  it 
was  at  this  moment  that  the  rabble  evinced  signs 
of  disorder,  and  began  to  cry  out  against  the  rich. 

"  These  are  but  slaves  —  the  children  of  slaves !  " 
they  hoarsely  shouted.  "  The  great  god  is  mocked ; 
the  children  of  the  poor,  of  slaves,  are  not  enough ! 
Give  us  children  of  the  rich,  free-will  offerings! 
Where  are  the  rich  ?  Where  are  the  rich  ?  "  howled 
the  mob. 

The  king's  countenance  became  dark  and  stern. 
He  spoke,  and  the  peals  of  horns  drowned  the  re- 
bellious cries ;  but  the  fierce  demand  swelled  louder 


The  Feast  of  Brands  199 

and  dominated  the  music.  Chna  was  there,  incit- 
ing to  anger;  the  women  of  the  street  ran  about, 
increasing  the  tumult.  The  faces  of  the  rich  and 
the  well-to-do  grew  apprehensive.  A  movement 
began  toward  them.  The  king  rose  from  his  throne 
and  beckoned  for  silence,  but  the  clamour  deepened. 
"  The  rich !  the  rich !  "  shrieked  the  rioters.  "  The 
children  of  slaves  are  a  mockery !  Give  us  children 
of  the  rich !  " 

"  The  rich  buy  offerings  of  the  poorl "  roared 
Chna.  Acts  of  violence  were  beginning,  and  a  seri- 
ous riot  was  imminent.  Again  the  king  made  in- 
effectual efforts  to  attract  their  attention,  but  there 
was,  instead,  a  rush  toward  the  favoured  ones  in 
the  court;  several  of  these  were  thrown  down  and 
trampled  into  insensibility.  Then  Hiram  aban- 
doned persuasion,  and  shouted  to  his  captain  of 
the  guard;  and  the  soldiers  fell  upon  the  rioters, 
striking  with  spear  and  sword. 

A  sneer  curled  the  Assyrian's  lips,  as  he  noted 
the  lack  of  generalship  shown  by  the  officer  in  com- 
mand. "  He  is  no  better  than  a  child  in  a  thunder- 
storm," he  said  to  himself.  "  And  his  soldiers  are 
no  better  than  a  mob.  They  will  stop  the  riot, 
because  it  has  no  leader,  but  so  feebly  as  to  leave 
a  consciousness  of  power  in  the  rabble.  They  will 
learn  their  strength  to-night,  and  the  next  time  they 


2OO  A  Captain  of  Men 

rise,  they  will  sweep  the  soldiers  as  leaves  are  swept 
by  a  wintry  gale.  Even  now  it  lacks  only  a  leader 
to  fill  the  city  with  bloodshed  and  rapine." 

This  prediction  was  amply  verified;  for  while 
the  sluggish,  inefficient  guard  reduced  the  half- 
hearted mob  to  a  semblance  of  order,  there  were 
still  signs  which  showed  that  the  trouble  had  not 
been  fully  quelled.  There  were  many  threats  of  a 
future  day  of  reckoning,  when  the  rich  should 
give  —  not  money,  but  their  own  offspring.  There 
were  promises  of  an  uprising  that  should  cleanse 
the  city  of  selfishness.  "  Wait  till  the  gods  are 
angry;  we  will  see  then  that  they  are  satisfied," 
yelled  the  rebels. 

But  now  that  peace  was  in  a  measure  restored, 
the  cowering  priests  became  more  assured,  and  re- 
commenced their  chanting.  A  cart  drawn  by  milk- 
white  cows,  covered  with  flowers,  appeared  in  the 
temple  court.  In  the  cart  was  the  holy  stone,  fallen 
from  Ashtoreth,  buried  in  flowers.  The  musicians 
ranged  themselves  in  line ;  the  calm-eyed  kine  gazed 
pensively  about  them;  the  music  took  a  softer  key; 
the  drivers  prodded  the  cows  with  beribboned 
goads,  and  the  cart  creaked  slowly  through  the 
court,  its  wheels  crushing  fragrance  from  its  flower- 
strewn  path. 

Priestesses  of  Ashtoreth  swept  behind  it,  dancing 


The  Feast  of  Brands  2OI 

and  casting  alluring  glances  to  right  and  left,  sing- 
ing of  the  sweetness  of  love,  of  soft  surrender,  of 
man  and  maid  and  brooding  night.  Throngs  of 
virgins  broke  the  silver  chains  which  fettered  their 
ankles,  unbound  their  hair,  and  joined  the  proces- 
sion, leaping  and  shaking  their  flower-crowned 
heads.  Young  men  sprang  among  them,  and  those 
in  female  garb  passed  along  the  line,  singing  of 
Ashtoreth  and  the  joy  she  gave. 

The  procession  passed  below  the  window  where 
stood  Merodach,  and  he  looked  down  and  beheld 
Tanith  among  the  priestesses;  and  she,  looking 
upward,  beheld  him.  In  an  instant  the  quiet  of 
her  face  was  broken  by  passion,  her  eyes  were  full 
of  longing.  She  beckoned  to  him;  she  was  as  a 
magnet  and  he  as  the  steel,  and  he  went  down  to 
become  one  of  those  who  danced  through  the 
streets  and  over  the  causeway,  toward  the  tents 
which  dotted  the  low  hills  beyond  the  older  city. 

To  him  Tanith  was  altogether  changed;  it  was 
passing  sweet  to  know  that  for  him  alone  she  glowed 
in  tender,  smiling  request.  He  was  in  a  mist  of 
passion.  He  knew  that  they  stopped  on  the  cause- 
way, that  the  high  priest  joined  salt  water  to  fresh, 
proclaiming  the  marriage  of  land  to  sea;  but  he 
knew  it  as  one  who  dreams.  He  saw  the  flaming 
torches,  the  flutter  of  dancing-girls,  but  he  saw  as 


2O2  A   Captain  of  Men 

in  a  dream;  and  as  in  a  dream  the  face  of  Tanith 
drew  him  onward.  Dreaming,  he  heard  the  song 
of  love,  and  the  dream  of  bliss  held  him  as  in  a 
spell.  Whether  he  leaped  or  danced  or  sang,  he 
could  not  tell ;  he  only  knew  that  Tanith  was  there, 
that  with  her  he  was  approaching  the  purple  tents. 

She  spoke  to  him  languidly,  and  languidly  he 
replied.  She  was  his,  and  there  was  in  all  the  world 
only  her  face,  and  love.  Her  hair  was  fragrant, 
her  eyes  were  stars,  shining  softly  through  a  ten- 
der haze,  and  the  night  was  soft  and  warm.  She 
had  torn  her  dress  to  clothe  the  flute-players,  but 
on  her  breast  was  yet  the  embroidery  showing  the 
god  Melkarth,  and  Merodach  recognized  in  the  face 
of  Melkarth  his  own  likeness. 

The  scenes  of  horror  were  forgotten,  his  loathing 
was  of  the  past,  nothing  was  left  but  the  present; 
just  before  them  were  the  shrine  of  Ashtoreth  be- 
neath the  trees,  the  asherim  near  the  shrine,  the 
tents  of  Ashtoreth,  —  and  the  night  was  still  young. 
Their  hands  were  now  together,  warm  and  throb- 
bing; she  gazed  upward  at  him  and  smiled,  and  he 
bent  to  kiss  her.  His  arm  was  around  her  waist, 
but,  clear  as  a  picture  on  canvas,  he  seemed  to  see 
her  hand  slipping  down  the  panther's  side,  and  pas- 
sion left  him. 

Tanith  shivered  voluptuously  in  his  embrace,  but 


The  Feast  of  Brands  203 

he  drew  backward,  his  arm  quitted  her  waist;  and 
they  both  beheld  Miriam,  gazing  at  them  with  shame 
and  horror  in  her  eyes. 

At  first  a  gust  of  rage  went  through  Merodach; 
it  angered  him  to  have  her  there.  She  was  a  slave, 
yet  she  had  dared  to  spy  on  him,  to  come  between 
him  and  Tanith ;  and  there  was  scorn  in  the  steady 
gaze  she  gave  them.  But  there  was  even  more  of 
grief  than  of  scorn,  and  her  sorrow  destroyed  his 
rage.  Sudden  appreciation  of  her  purity  sprang 
to  life  in  his  heart,  and  he  turned  to  Tanith,  — 
her  face  seemed  to  have  grown  coarse  and  vulgar, 
her  beauty  reptilian.  He  looked  again  at  Miriam, 
and  she  was  like  a  flower  among  foul  weeds.  He 
seemed  to  hear  the  counsels  of  his  grandfather 
sounding  in  his  ears,  and  he  despised  himself  for 
his  forgetfulness.  How  could  he  have  thought  to 
place  such  as  Tanith  beside  him  to  rule  the  world; 
Tanith  who  could  not  rule  herself? 

"  Come,"  she  whispered ;  "  we  shall  spend  the 
night  with  Ashtoreth.  You  are  tall  and  strong, 
my  love,  like  the  cedars  of  Lebanon.  I  am  sick 
of  love  for  thee,  O  Merodach!  The  night  is  soft 
and  spicy;  behold  the  tent  I  had  prepared  for  thee 
and  me." 

"  Nay,  my  lady  Tanith,"  he  steadily  replied ;  "  it 
is  very  late,  and  I  have  work  to  do;  and  here,  too, 


204  A  Captain  of  Men 

is  Hector  waiting  for  you.  May  Asshur  keep  you, 
my  lady,  for  I  am  hardly  more  than  a  stranger  in 
Tyre;  its  customs  bewilder  me." 

It  was  as  if  the  eyes  of  a  tigress  blazed  upon  him, 
for  Tanith  was  given  over  to  rage;  she  was  like  a 
furious,  deadly  beast.  A  fierce  cry  burst  from  her 
lips.  "  You  cast  me  from  you  like  a  discarded 
toy."  Then  she  laughed,  and  called  to  Hector. 
"  See  this  Assyrian  dog,"  she  said,  smiling  yet  clasp- 
ing her  hands  fiercely  together.  "  He  has  become 
a  cur ;  the  sight  of  my  Hebrew  slave  has  unmanned 
him;  he  is  a  woman  in  man's  clothing.  Come 
with  me,  Hector,  there  is  love  in  thine  eyes;  come, 
and  thou  shalt  learn  what  this  fool  hath  lost." 

Saying  which,  she  left  Merodach  with  Miriam, 
outside  the  purple  tent. 

There  is  no  need  to  dwell  on  the  fury  of  Tanith, 
nor  to  describe  how  she  wrought  with  Hector,  play- 
ing with  his  heart  and  passion,  till  he  vowed  to 
achieve  her  love  by  compassing  the  death  of  Mero- 
dach. For  only  death  could  repay  the  slight  she 
had  received.  Yet,  after  she  had  brought  him  to 
her  will,  she  mocked  the  Greek. 

"  Your  words  are  ever  bigger  than  your  deeds. 
You  are  as  beautiful  as  a  god,  Hector,  but  at  the 
bottom  you  are  a  craven.  No,  no;  you  shall  not 
have  my  love  until  you  prove  your  manhood.  Bring 


The  Feast  of  Brands  205 

me  the  head  of  that  Assyrian  dog,  and  there  is  noth- 
ing I  shall  deny  you." 

So  Hector  swore  with  many  an  oath  that  her 
desire  should  be  gratified. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE   MEETING  AMONG   THE   PALMS 

HECTOR  went  to  see  his  friend,  the  artist,  on  the 
morning  after  the  feast.  For  reasons  not  hard  to 
understand,  Tanith  had  granted  him  a  furlough 
from  work  at  the  warehouses.  Hector  was  too 
wise  to  tell  any  one  of  his  promise  concerning  Mero- 
dach;  but  the  magnitude  of  his  undertaking  had 
given  him  heroic  proportions,  as  he  viewed  himself, 
and  he  was  absolutely  compelled  to  relieve  the 
inward  tension  by  talking.  So,  as  was  his  custom, 
he  used  Hiram  Abif  as  a  safety-valve. 

The  artist  preserved  a  sardonic  silence  during  his 
friend's  recital;  he  loved  Hector  for  the  glimpses 
he  gave  him  of  foolish  humanity.  He  could  listen 
to  the  Greek  for  hours  at  a  time  without  the  slight- 
est touch  of  weariness;  and  to-day  he  perceived 
that  something  of  unusual  importance  was  in  the 
air,  for  Hector  was  mysterious  and  fateful.  Hec- 
tor spoke  of  deeds  of  heroism  as  common  folk  talk 

206 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms   207 

of  the  trivial  affairs  of  every-day  life,  but  with  an 
artistic  simplicity  which  lifted  him  above  the  or- 
dinary boaster,  while  Hiram  sat  hugging  his  knees, 
full  of  admiring  complacency. 

"  I  have  often  marvelled  at  the  beauty  of  Hope," 
said  he,  after  the  Greek  had  exhausted  himself  of 
an  expansive  eulogy  of  bravery.  "  Hope  is  a  god 
dwelling  in  the  bosom  of  a  few  favoured  mortals. 
Hope  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all  divinities ;  his  — 
or  her,  because  I  deem  her  feminine,  —  her  loveli- 
ness is  absolutely  indestructible.  The  waters  of 
failure  cannot  drown  Hope;  she  floats  above  the 
sea  of  calamity  like  a  bubble  on  the  waves.  Hope 
cannot  be  bound  and  imprisoned  by  the  limitations 
of  natural  cowardice  or  of  incapacity;  she  soars, 
radiant,  unshrinking,  above  scenes  of  carnage  and 
of  blood.  Happy  must  be  the  man  in  whom  she 
selects  to  abide,  for  she  never  leaves  him  so  long 
as  his  life  will  last.  I  have  known  a  few  in  whom 
she  dwelt.  They  are  moved,  let  me  say,  by  hero- 
ism ;  in  fancy  they  conceive  themselves  the  bravest 
of  the  brave.  They  dream  of  great,  sounding  deeds ; 
the  moment  of  test  comes,  —  they  fail,  miserably, 
completely.  But  Hope  touches  the  dreamer's  eyes, 
and  he  sleeps  again  to  dream  new  dreams  of  god- 
like action.  They  live  in  cowardice,  they  die  in 
failure;  and  their  last  living  belief  was  that,  some 


2C>8  A  Captain  of  Men 

day,  they  would  dazzle  the  world  by  their  bravery. 
Indeed,  Hector,  I  would  that  Hope  were  not  fem- 
inine; for  then  Hope  might  overlook  the  ugliness 
of  my  body,  and  leave  thee  for  me." 

Possibly  it  was  not  always  a  pleasure  to  commune 
with  Hiram  Abif.  Hector  had  for  years  had  mo- 
ments in  which  this  thought  worried  him,  /and 
to-day  was  one  of  those  disagreeable  occasions 
when  the  dwarf  distilled  venom.  Well,  it  would 
not  be  long  before  this  gibing-tongued  dwarf  should 
sing  his  praises.  He  was  resolved  to  slay  the  As- 
syrian with  his  own  hand,  to  prove  to  Hiram  that 
he  was  no  coward,  to  Tanith  that  he  was  worthy 
of  her  love.  Time  and  again  he  beheld  himself 
presenting  to  her  the  grim  trophy  of  his  prowess, 
as,  in  anticipation,  he  tasted  the  sweets  of  his  re- 
ward. 

He  was  resolved  not  to  see  her  again  until  he 
had  done  the  deed.  Therefore  he  left  the  unap- 
preciative  artist,  and  sought  out  Merodach.  He 
became,  as  it  were,  the  Assyrian's  shadow,  so  that 
the  latter  tired  of  seeing  him,  of  meeting  him  so 
often  and  unexpectedly.  From  which  it  followed 
that,  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  this  un- 
loved companionship,  Merodach  gently  suggested 
to  Hector  that  the  prince  Esmun  had  more  need 
of  a  secretary  than  had  he,  the  captain  of  soldiers. 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  209 

An  overwhelming  fear  fell  upon  the  Greek  on 
account  of  the  glance  accompanying  this  hint  of 
intrusion.  His  knees  became  tremulous,  his  breath- 
ing difficult,  and  he  was  tortured  by  the  oft  re- 
peated consciousness  of  bodily  cowardice.  Then 
the  memory  of  Hadad,  the  fearless  brawler,  of 
Chna,  lean  and  subtle,  and  of  Nathan  the  leper, 
the  unmitigated  scoundrel,  came  to  him  as  if  it  were 
an  inspiration  of  the  gods. 

He  sadly  admitted  to  himself  that  the  time  had 
not  yet  arrived  for  him  to  display  the  true  quality 
of  his  own  bravery.  Truly  it  sickened  him  each 
time  he  recalled  the  Assyrian's  glance;  and  hero- 
ism was  not  wont  to  exist  with  nausea  and  a  sweat- 
ing back.  It  would  be  the  better  part  of  wisdom 
for  him  to  part  with  many  shekels  of  silver  of 
mercantile  standard.  Furthermore,  he  reminded 
his  quaking  heart  that,  hitherto,  there  had  been 
nothing  but  friendship  between  him  and  Merodach ; 
it  would  be  unseemly  for  the  hand  of  a  friend  to 
strike  down  the  unsuspecting  stranger.  Wherefore 
Hector  arranged  for  a  meeting  with  Chna,  Hadad, 
and  Nathan  that  very  night  in  the  tavern  of  the 
Jolly  Dwarfs;  and  when  they  were  all  met,  he 
bargained  shrewdly  with  them  over  the  amount  of 
blood-money. 

Chna  was  still  surly  on  account  of  the  failure  of 


2IO  A  Captain  of  Men 

the  riot  he  had  started;  Hadad  was  two-thirds 
drunk,  and  the  other  third  reckless;  and  Nathan 
rolled  as  a  sweet  morsel  beneath  his  tongue  the 
thought  of  earning  good  pay  by  killing  the  man 
he  had  come  to  hate.  Yet  the  instinct  of  barter 
was  so  strong  in  each,  they  were  all  such  good  men 
of  business,  that  it  was  not  till  Hector  had  paid 
down  in  advance  a  heavy  sum,  and  the  night  was 
far  spent,  that  the  bargain  was  finally  made. 

Afterward,  when  the  Greek  was  gone,  there  was 
a  long  and  heated  dispute  between  the  three  as  to 
which  should  be  granted  the  privilege  of  striking 
the  first  blow.  Unable  to  agree,  they  at  last  drew 
lots,  and  Nathan  praised  his  gods  for  his  wonder- 
ful luck.  His  cruel  eyes  shot  fire  beneath  his  whit- 
ish-yellow brows,  and  the  smile  on  his  leprous  face 
was  diabolical  while  he  promised  his  companions 
that  his  blow  should  prevent  the  need  of  another. 
Meanwhile  the  day  for  the  departure  of  the  ex- 
pedition was  at  hand.  Two  long,  narrow-decked 
biremes  had  been  manned  with  rowers  and  pro- 
visioned for  the  voyage.  Final  selection  of  the 
men  for  the  company  had  been  made,  and  they 
were  under  orders  not  to  leave  the  ships  without 
special  permission. 

Since  the  night  of  the  festival  Merodach  had  felt 
no  desire  to  meet  the  lady  T'anith.  The  memory 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms   211 

of  the  overthrow  of  his  misconceived  plans  rankled 
in  his  mind,  and  his  self-respect  had  received  a 
severe  shock  by  the  sudden  knowledge  of  his  own 
possibilities  for  folly.  On  the  other  hand,  his 
admiration  for  Miriam's  higher  qualities  was 
strengthened;  he  was  beginning  to  have  a  truer 
appreciation  of  her  character.  There  was  much 
to  be  said  to  her,  and  he  grew  impatient  to  be  alone 
with  her  before  he  sailed;  also  he  was  curious  to 
learn  how  she  had  been  affected  by  seeing  him  with 
her  mistress.  Therefore  he  had  used  Hadad  again 
as  his  messenger,  and  had  arranged  for  another 
meeting  by  the  river. 

This  time  he  was  the  first  to  arrive  at  the  tryst- 
ing-place.  Seating  himself  in  the  shade,  for  the 
days  were  now  quite  dry  and  hot,  he  began  to 
wonder  at  the  cause  of  Miriam's  delay.  She  was 
quite  late,  and  when  she  did  appear,  walking  among 
the  stately  palms,  it  seemed  to  him  that  she  came 
with  reluctance.  The  impression  roused  him  to 
anger;  doubtless  she  was  recalling  and  resenting 
his  actions  with  Tanith. 

But  the  truth  was  that  Miriam  lagged  only  be- 
cause she  believed  that  he  was  still  absent;  the 
thick  shrubbery  hid  him  from  her  view,  and  she 
walked  slowly,  thinking  of  the  news  she  had  just 
heard  of  her  cousin  David.  The  latter  had  sent 


212  A  Captain  of  Men 

word  to  her  by  means  of  Abiram  —  who  had  stud- 
ied in  the  school  of  prophets  originated  by  Samuel 
—  of  the  slaughter  at  Gilboa,  and  of  the  death  of 
Saul  and  his  son  Jonathan.  After  Samuel's  death, 
Abiram,  during  his  wanderings  about  Palestine, 
had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  and  been 
taken  to  Gath.  There  he  had  met  David,  and  was 
with  David  when  he  heard  of  the  battle.  The  de- 
feat of  the  Israelites  had  been  so  complete  and  ter- 
rible as  practically  to  free  them  both  from  sur- 
veillance; the  Philistines  became  very  careless  of 
their  movements.  David  immediately  took  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunity  by  sending  Abiram  to  Tyre, 
with  a  promise  that  it  would  not  be  long  before 
he  would  have  Miriam  released  from  slavery.  Abi- 
ram was  still  her  guest.  They  had  talked  often  to- 
gether, and  she  had  asked  him  to  teach  her  the 
religion  of  her  people.  David's  words  and  faith 
had  stirred  the  memories  of  her  childhood,  and 
Abiram's  teaching  had  awakened  her  inherent  spir- 
ituality to  growth.  She  had  also  been  thrilled  by 
what  he  could  remember  of  David's  lament  for  the 
dead  king,  for  Jonathan,  his  brother-in-arms,  and 
by  the  prophet's  conviction  that  already  the  hearts 
of  his  countrymen  were  turning  toward  David; 
Abiram  was  certain  that  David  would  be  chosen 
king  in  Saul's  place. 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  213 

All  this,  and  more,  was  in  her  mind  to  perplex 
her  as  she  walked  to  meet  her  lover.  What  should 
she  do?  What  should  she  say  to  him  when  she 
met  him? 

But  when  she  did  see  Merodach  waiting  for  her, 
her  face  shone  and  her  hands  were  outstretched, 
impatient  to  feel  the  touch  of  love.  But  he  was  in 
a  mood  to  believe  that  her  welcome  was  forced, 
that  her  joy  was  assumed. 

"  I  was  telling  myself  that  you  were  slow  to 
come,"  she  said,  happily ;  "  and  all  the  time  you 
were  here,  waiting  for  me.  Now  I  am  quite 
ashamed  of  myself." 

"  And  I  have  been  thinking  that  your  walk  was 
not  hastened  by  your  desire  to  be  with  me,"  replied 
Merodach,  impelled  by  her  loveliness  to  take  her 
hand  and  draw  her  to  a  seat  by  his  side.  But  she 
seemed  to  prefer  to  remain  standing,  so  he  too 
stood,  holding  both  her  hands  in  silence,  —  she 
satisfied  in  his  mere  presence,  he  wondering  if  she 
would  speak  of  the  festival,  and  Tanith. 

Perhaps  that  subtile  influence  which  sometimes 
exists  between  lovers  moved  her  to  speak  as  she 
did;  for  she  had  no  real  conception  of  the  nature 
of  her  question,  and  she  asked  it  with  no  intention 
of  calling  him  to  an  accounting. 


214  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  Tell  me,"  she  said,  "  why  did  you  leave  my 
lady  Tanith?" 

Hardly  were  the  words  beyond  her  lips  when 
she  regretted  them.  They  surprised  her;  she  was 
startled  by  their  import,  and  would  have  given 
anything  not  to  have  spoken  at  all.  Of  course 
Merodach  misjudged  her  confusion,  and  his  reply 
was  very  cold. 

"  I  cannot  say  just  why  I  left  her;  I  was  angry 
when  I  first  discovered  you  watching  us.  But 
when  I  looked  from  her  to  you,  she  was  as  a  toad 
beside  a  flower;  it  wearied  me  to  see  her." 

"  But  you  meant  to  stay,  you  wished  to  stay 
with  her  —  till  you  saw  me.  And  you  were  quite 
angry  at  me." 

The  air  seemed  dead  to  Miriam ;  she  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  continued :  "  She  has  been  pleased  to 
remind  me  of  how  you  are  with  her  each  Sabbath 
evening.  How  much  do  you  love  me,  Merodach?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell.  I  have  often  considered  the  wis- 
dom of  making  Tanith  my  wife.  I  feel  the  day 
will  come  when  I  shall  conquer  the  world,  and  I 
ask  myself,  What  could  be  better  than  to  select 
my  queen  from  the  women  of  Tyre?  There  is 
the  sea  to  be  won  as  well  as  the  land;  Tanith  is 
the  daughter  of  the  man  owning  the  largest  fleets, 


The  Meeting  among  the   Palms  215 

so  I  went  often  to  see  her  and  to  learn  more  of 
her  nature." 

"  You  do  not  fail  of  frankness,"  exclaimed 
Miriam,  and  he  was  perversely  glad  to  see  the  effect 
of  his  cruelty.  "  Would  it  please  my  lord,  the  cap- 
tain, to  speak  also  his  views  concerning  the  humble 
slave?" 

"  I  have  even  considered  that  it  was  possible  to 
have  Tanith  for  my  queen,  and  Miriam  for  my 
concubine." 

This  bitter  and  unexpected  blow  stunned  Miriam. 
But  wrath  quickly  took  the  place  of  weakness,  and 
she  was  superb  when  she  turned  from  him  without 
a  word ;  she  was  sublime  in  mingled  scorn  and  out- 
raged purity.  Merodach  could  have  bitten  out  his 
tongue  for  the  wrong  he  had  done,  for  he  was 
nearer  then  to  perfect  love  for  her  than  ever  be- 
fore. For  an  instant  he  feared  that  he  had  lost 
her  for  ever,  but  she  soon  returned  and  fiercely 
whispered : 

"  Are  there  no  weapons  in  Tyre,  that  I  should 
see  her  in  your  arms  ?  " 

At  which  Merodach  laughed  aloud  and  caught 
her  in  his  arms. 

"Is  it  not  enough  that  I  did  leave  her?  Is  it 
not  enough  that  you  had  power  to  destroy  the  might 
of  her  charms?  No,  no,  Miriam,  I  have  you  fast. 


216  A  Captain  of  Men 

How  foolish  it  is  for  you  to  struggle;  it  is  not 
my  arms  that  hold  you,  but  my  love.  Now  I  have 
loosed  you  altogether,  —  and  now  you  have  re- 
turned to  the  prison  that  you  pretended  to  wish  to 
leave,  to  the  jailer  you  pretended  to  hate.  Am  I 
quite  beyond  your  forgiveness?" 

"  It  was  like  death  to  see  you  then.  Your  face 
was  toward  her;  her  eyes  were  drinking  your 
beauty.  I  could  not  move ;  I  could  not  speak.  But 
your  concubine !  —  my  love  has  made  me  forgetful, 
—  better  death !  Your  arms  are  not  worthy  to  keep 
me.  I  pray  you  to  free  me  of  your  embrace." 

"  By  Ishtar !  I  will  not  free  you.  You  were 
speechless,  but  you  were  fairer  than  Ishtar  when  I 
saw  you,  and  Tanith  became  loathsome  as  some 
crawling  thing.  My  folly  fell  from  me,  and  I  be- 
held clearly.  So  I  have  come  here  to  meet  you. 
I  will  not  let  you  go  until  you  tell  me  why  you  came 
so  slowly.  I  saw  you  under  the  palms,  and  you 
were  not  as  one  going  to  meet  a  lover.  Yet  you 
cannot  help  loving  me." 

"  Sometimes  I  try  not  to  love  you,  —  but  I  can- 
not help  it,  —  it  is  stronger  than  I !  "  cried  Miriam, 
kissing  him  and  clinging  passionately  to  him. 
"  Your  gods  are  not  mine,  and  I  am  such  a  little 
portion  of  your  life;  even  now  you  are  preparing 
to  leave  me,  and  your  mind  is  full  of  great  desires. 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  217 

You  wish  to  conquer  the  world,  but  I  crave  only 
your  heart.  I  am  frightened  when  I  think  of  what 
you  wish  me  to  be;  and  my  cousin  has  sent  me 
word  that  I  am  not  forgotten.  Soon  he  will  be  able 
to  free  me  and  protect  me.  Saul  and  Jonathan  are 
both  dead;  David  will  be  king.  He  is  my  cousin 
and  your  friend;  he  wishes  to  have  me  give  you 
his  remembrance.  Put  away  your  thoughts  of  con- 
quest; there  is  nothing  like  love  and  peace.  Take 
me  to  the  land  of  Israel,  and  I  will  make  you  con- 
tented in  the  home  we  will  build  together.  This 
is  why  I  loitered  on  the  way,  —  I  know  of  nothing 
that  will  compare  with  our  love  for  each  other. 
Make  me  your  kingdom,  Merodach ! " 

"  To  be  born,  to  live,  to  love,  and  to  die,"  said 
he,  with  something  of  scorn  in  his  voice.  "  To  leave 
nothing  behind  one  save  children  is  to  be  as  the 
beasts.  I  have  heard  that  the  kings  of  Egypt  build 
great  tombs  —  like  mountains  —  that  their  chil- 
dren's children,  to  a  thousand  generations,  may  not 
forget  them.  And  the  deeds  of  my  father's  father, 
of  Tiglath-Pileser,  the  great  king,  the  mighty  war- 
rior, are  they  not  recorded  on  tablets  of  brick? 
His  name  will  be  a  power  in  the  land  of  Asshur 
after  his  bones  have  long  been  dust.  Such  men  are 
never  forgotten.  And  I,  too,  will  build  for  myself 
a  monument  of  glorious  deeds.  It  is  good  to  be 


21 8  A   Captain  of  Men 

remembered.  Love  is  sweet ;  the  favour  of  woman 
beautifies  the  life  of  a  hero,  but  women  and  love  and 
life  pass  away  and  are  soon  gone.  It  is  only  great- 
ness that  is  eternal.  I  have  thought  of  a  love  that 
would  make  a  wife  satisfied  only  through  seeing  the 
success  of  the  loved  one's  efforts.  Such  love  in 
a  woman  is  more  precious  than  wealth  of  silver  or 
gold  or  precious  stones.  I  love  you,  Miriam,  I 
desire  your  love;  yet  when  it  is  used  to  draw  me 
to  lower  things,  when  it  places  common  happiness 
and  peace  above  achievement,  when  it  hangs  as  a 
heavy  burden  about  the  neck  of  him  struggling  to 
climb  ever  higher  and  higher,  —  it  is  but  the  love 
of  a  concubine.  From  my  boyhood  I  have  thought 
continually  upon  the  things  which  make  and  which 
mar  the  men  who  have  in  them  the  seeds  of  great- 
ness. It  has  seemed  to  me  that  there  are  three 
errors  which  destroy  most  men :  babbling  lips,  the 
love  of  wine,  and  commerce  with  a  frivolous 
woman. 

"  I  have  spoken  frankly  with  you,  Miriam,  be- 
cause I  have  hoped  to  find  such  an  helpmeet  in  you. 
You  have  called  me  unworthy  because  I  consid- 
ered the  plan  of  making  you  my  concubine.  I  ask 
your  forgiveness  for  the  thought.  I  offer  you  the 
best  I  can  give  you;  will  you  be  my  wife?  Tell 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  219 

me,  Miriam,  will  you  give  me  the  love  I  desire  of 
you?" 

The  last  particle  of  anger  had  left  Miriam's  heart. 
He  had,  it  is  true,  spoken  slightingly  of  the  life 
she  had  pictured  to  him;  but  his  earnestness  had 
destroyed  the  sting  of  refusal.  All  that  was  strong- 
est in  her  nature  responded  to  the  strength  of  his. 
It  was  as  if  she  beheld  him  far  above  all  other  men, 
as  if  he  were  reaching  from  inaccessible  heights 
to  lift  her  to  his  side.  She  was  dazzled  by  the  glory 
which  seemed  to  shine  about  him;  she  was  amazed 
when  she  thought  of  his  wishing  to  share  it  with 
her.  Somehow  he  had  made  it  all  appear  new  to 
her,  or  she  had  come  to  a  fuller  appreciation  of 
what  it  might  be. 

"  I  cannot  tell  why  it  is,"  she  said ;  "  but,  oh, 
I  would  not  have  you  lesser  or  weaker.  You  have 
honoured  me  above  my  deserts;  I  seem  to  have 
a  new  conception  of  love,  but  I  am  still  perplexed, 
still  afraid,  still  divided  by  love  for  you  and  doubt 
of  myself.  I  can  see  now  that  it  will  be  best  for 
us  to  be  parted  for  a  season.  I  cannot  think  calmly 
while  you  are  near.  If  you  think  me  worthy  of 
such  a  position,  it  is  right  that  I  should  consider 
the  matter  with  all  the  wisdom  I  may  possess.  I 
will  meditate  day  and  night  during  your  absence; 
when  you  return  my  word  shall  be  yea  or  nay.  The 


22O  A  Captain  of  Men 

sweetness  and  bitterness  of  your  proffer  are  beyond 
my  comprehension,  —  as  is  also  my  love  for  you, 

0  Merodach ! " 

"  Now  I  know  that  you  will  be  my  queen,"  said 
he,  rising  and  looking  proudly  down  upon  her  up- 
turned face.  "  You  have  promised  to  think  of  my 
wish.  I  will  keep  that  promise  with  me,  and,  when 

1  return,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  not  say  me  nay." 

Here,  to  make  clear  what  follows,  it  should  be 
known  that  Hector  had  not  been  able  to  resist  the 
impulse  to  tell  Tanith  that  he  would  claim  his  re- 
ward that  very  night.  Already  he  had  assumed 
to  himself  the  credit  and  glory  of  accomplishing 
the  death  of  Merodach.  "  It  is  impossible  for  me 
to  fail,"  he  had  exultingly  declared.  "  I  will  prove 
my  love  to-night,  Tanith.  This  very  night  I  will 
bring  you  the  head  of  the  man  you  hate." 

So  proud  was  his  bearing,  so  assured  his  words, 
that  Tanith  began  to  believe  him.  She  became  con- 
vinced that,  in  some  way,  he  would  succeed,  and 
a  great  longing  impelled  her  to  secure  a  last  look 
at  Merodach  before  he  was  "  lost  in  nothingness." 
So  she  called  her  maidens  to  put  on  her  most  beau- 
tiful robe,  to  paint  her  face,  to  perfume  her  hair 
and  cord  it  in  massive  braids  above  her  forehead. 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  221 

She  would  prove  to  him,  once  and  for  all,  that  there 
was  none  like  her  he  had  scorned. 

And  after  she  had  been  arrayed  and  prepared  to 
her  own  satisfaction,  it  seemed  as  if  her  gods  were 
determined  to  aid  her;  for  she  discovered  Hadad 
on  the  street  before  her  house,  making  love  to  one 
of  her  slaves.  Hadad  had  spent  freely  of  his  recent 
earnings,  and  the  result  was  very  apparent;  he 
was  loquaciously  drunk.  Tanith  heard  him  speak 
of  the  Assyrian,  just  a  word,  but  it  set  her  to  ques- 
tioning and  bribing  until  she  learned  where  he  was. 

From  this  it  followed  that  when  Merodach  and 
Miriam  started  for  the  city,  they  came  face  to  face 
with  the  lady  Tanith,  and  she  knew  that  they  were 
together  as  lovers. 

Hadad  had  not  told  her  of  Miriam,  and  her  un- 
expected appearance  with  him  filled  Tanith  with 
jealousy,  rage,  and  a  sense  of  defeat.  She  could 
neither  move  nor  speak;  she  stood,  silent  and  ex- 
pressionless, in  the  glaring  light  of  the  glade;  but 
her  very  lack  of  apparent  emotion  was  terrible  to 
those  who  knew  her. 

Slowly  and  quietly,  and  with  no  sign  of  reluc- 
tance, the  two  came  out  of  the  shade  to  meet  her. 
As  if  met  for  mortal  combat,  desired  by  each,  they 
three  accepted  the  moment  as  inevitable,  as  a  fore- 
cast of  final  victory  or  defeat.  Their  crossing  re- 


222  A  Captain  of  Men 

gards  neither  wavered  nor  flamed,  they  were  as 
swords  in  the  hands  of  cool,  relentless  duellists  in 
the  beginning  of  the  combat.  But,  as  all  uncov- 
ered they  stood  beneath  the  sun,  sharp  pain  darted 
behind  the  Assyrian's  eyes,  and  suddenly  the  black- 
ness of  night  hid  Tanith's  face. 

His  legs  wavered,  he  was  afraid  that  he  should 
fall,  and  his  hand  sought  Miriam's  shoulder  and 
rested  there  for  support.  So  strange,  so  incom- 
prehensible was  this  loss  of  vision  that,  for  an  in- 
stant, it  unnerved  him  and  made  him  solicitous  for 
help.  Yet  his  sightless  eyes  remained  full  on  Ta- 
nith,  and  she  detected  no  evidence  of  his  internal 
anguish  and  weakness.  Instead,  she  was  daunted 
by  the  new  expression  of  his  gaze,  by  its  awesome 
appearance.  She  saw  his  hand  reach  to  Miriam's 
shoulder,  and  felt  the  action  to  be  a  defiance,  an 
indication  of  his  will  to  protect  her  slave  from  harm 
or  wrong1.  To  Miriam  that  touch  of  her  lover's 
hand  was  inexpressibly  reassuring. 

Then,  even  as  it  came,  the  darkness  left  him, 
suddenly,  completely.  Tanith's  face  and  figure  were 
once  more  distinct  against  their  background  of 
shade,  and  the  blessing  of  sight  was  surpassingly 
sweet.  Brightness  also  dispelled  the  mystery  from 
his  aspect,  and  Tanith  lost  her  feeling  of  defeat  in 
her  consciousness  of  nearness  to  the  one  she  loved. 


The  Meeting  among  the  Palms  223 

He  was  dearer  than  ever  before.  She  had  doomed 
him  to  death,  she  should  not  see  him  again,  and 
she  was  resolved  to  snatch  a  fleeting  happiness 
before  it  was  too  late.  Like  a  sleek,  deadly,  purr- 
ing tiger-cat,  she  would  enjoy  her  prey,  now  that 
it  could  not  escape  her  claws. 

Her  sensuous  nature  gloated  over  the  perfections 
of  her  victim;  the  poise  of  his  neck  and  head  de- 
lighted her,  his  strength  and  grace  surprised  her 
as  being  new  and  unrivalled.  She  spoke  trifles,  she 
was  cunning  to  display  her  own  attractiveness  and 
excelling  beauty,  until  they  were  amazed  and  trou- 
bled by  her  graciousness.  The  threatened  combat 
was  changed  to  friendliness;  but  Miriam  and  Mero- 
dach  felt  that  her  complacency  was  as  thin  ice 
beneath  their  feet,  that  it  covered  unfathomable 
depths. 

"  Even  when  you  are  dead,  you  will  be  more 
beautiful  than  Melkarth,"  she  said  regretfully  to 
herself  when  she  left  him.  "  But  my  vengeance 
shall  scorch  Miriam  till  her  loveliness  shall  become 
a  loathsome  thing."  Yet  honey  never  dripped 
sweeter  from  the  comb  than  fell  the  words  of  Ta- 
nith's  parting. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   REWARD   OF    HECTOR 

As  has  been  said,  Hiram  the  king  and  Esmun 
the  prince  were  business  partners.  They  had  cov- 
enanted honesty  and  fair  dealing,  one  with  the 
other,  and  an  equitable  division  of  the  firm's  profits. 
Yet  the  king  had  been  sorely  tempted  to  hide  from 
Esmun  the  real  project  of  the  new  undertaking. 

But  unfortunately  for  his  peace  of  mind,  the 
king  had  a  business  conscience,  as  was  true  of 
most  of  the  great  merchants  of  Tyre.  He  was 
bound  to  his  partner  by  bonds  of  fairness ;  he  would 
be  lacking  in  business  honour,  should  he  attempt 
to  secure  to  himself  the  entire  profits  which  must 
result  from  the  discovery  of  a  water  route  to  the 
country  of  tin.  He  had  been  inspired  with  a  belief 
in  the  star  of  Merodach;  he  was  certain  that  the 
Assyrian  would  dare  the  perils  and  terrors  of  the 
unknown  sea  and  attain  his  purpose. 

The  temptation  to  reap  all  the  benefits  of  that 
224 


The  Reward  of  Hector  225 

success  was  almost  irresistible.  Yet  the  king  did 
finally  overcome  his  weakness,  and  he  enjoyed  to 
the  full  the  surprise  and  admiration  displayed  by 
his  partner  over  the  audacity  of  the  plan.  They 
two  never  tired  of  discussing  the  probabilities  and 
the  possibilities  of  success.  They  would  pore  over 
their  private  maps,  tracing  carefully  the  course  they 
thought  their  vessels  should  take;  they  inventoried 
again  and  again  the  qualities  of  their  captain ;  they 
were  well-nigh  suffocated  by  the  certainty  of  the 
enormous  wealth  that  success  must  bring  them. 

For  the  first  time  in  years  the  merchant  was  keep- 
ing a  secret  from  his  daughter.  His  reason  for 
so  doing  was  purely  a  business  one;  he  would  not 
permit  the  inconceivable  folly  of  her  female  heart 
to  endanger  a  venture  which  might  make  him  and 
his  royal  partner  the  richest  men  in  the  world. 

There  was  a  time  when  he  had  feared  Merodach, 
when  he  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  second  her  plot 
of  having  Nathan  one  of  his  company;  nor  had 
he  shrunk  from  the  idea  of  the  Assyrian's  death. 
But  now  matters  were  vastly  different,  and  Mero- 
dach was  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.  Therefore  when 
Tanith  gave  him  an  inkling  of  her  deadly  purpose, 
he  was  furious  at  what  he  now  considered  to  be 
the  rankest  perversity.  Under  these  circumstances 
he  felt  that  it  would  be  worse  than  folly  to  inform 


226  A  Captain  of  Men 

her  of  the  water  route,  for  she  was  immovable  when 
she  had  set  her  resolve.  His  one  chance  would 
be  to  deceive  her,  to  disguise  his  true  desires,  and 
to  get  the  Assyrian  and  the  expedition  away  before 
she  could  act. 

Already  he  had  cunningly  managed  to  have  the 
men  of  the  company  sworn  to  faithfulness  before 
the  altar  of  the  Cabirim  without  her  knowledge; 
and  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  have  all  the  offer- 
ings, customary  before  long  and  dangerous  voy- 
ages, made  without  arousing  her  suspicions.  In- 
deed both  he  and  his  daughter  were  anxious  to  use 
the  same  means  for  entirely  different  ends;  for  she 
approved  of  this  unusual  haste,  thinking  it  would 
lull  Merodach  into  a  sense  of  security. 

Everything  was  therefore  arranged  to  enable 
Esmun  to  do  the  very  last  thing  in  his  power  for 
the  success  of  the  wonderful  expedition ;  he  waited 
at  the  warehouse  till  the  arrival  of  his  captain,  — 
who  came  there  direct  from  his  meeting  with 
Miriam  and  Tanith,  —  and  instructed  him  to  sail 
that  very  night. 

The  command  was  in  perfect  accord  with  the 
other's  wishes,  and  the  two  passed  the  time,  till 
it  became  dark,  in  a  final  review  of  the  details  of 
the  project.  This  done,  they  bade  each  other  good- 
speed,  and  Merodach  went  aboard  the  ship;  but 


The  Reward  of  Hector  227 

the  merchant  still  waited  alone  in  his  office,  deter- 
mined to  see  the  execution  of  his  instructions. 

But  at  this  last  moment,  when  everything  was 
seemingly  going  well,  the  star  of  Tanith  rose  in  the 
ascendant;  for  no  sooner  was  the  Assyrian  aboard 
than  he  learned  that  three  of  his  men  were  absent 
without  permission.  Nathan  and  Chna  and  Hadad 
were  the  guilty  ones;  the  scheme  of  the  subtle 
Greek  was  beginning  to  work. 

The  absence  of  Chna  was  a  serious  one,  as  he 
intended  to  make  the  veteran  his  lieutenant;  more- 
over, he  had  a  high  opinion  of  Hadad  —  when 
he  should  be  removed  from  the  seductions  of  the 
city.  But  the  disobedience  of  Nathan  gave  the 
Assyrian  nothing  but  the  keenest  satisfaction.  He 
would  go  himself  and  find  the  leprous  truant,  and 
there  should  be  one  scoundrel  less  in  the  land 
of  the  living. 

Wherefore,  bidding  the  sailing-master  to  have 
their  vessels  in  readiness  to  start  the  instant  he  re- 
turned, he  set  out  for  the  "  Tavern  of  the  Jolly 
Dwarfs,"  sure  of  finding  his  quarry.  As  luck  would 
have  it,  Esmun  did  not  see  him  leave  the  ship. 
Something  caused  the  merchant  to  quit  his  post 
of  observation  for  a  few  minutes,  and  Merodach 
was  lost  in  the  darkness  when  he  got  back,  igno- 
rant of  what  was  happening. 


228  A  Captain  of  Men 

Merodach  quitted  the  tavern,  disappointed  by  the 
emptiness  it  had  for  him.  He  stood  awhile  at  its 
door  full  of  perplexity,  then  went  slowly  up  the 
street  toward  a  den  of,  if  possible,  lower  character. 
He  had  heard  Hadad  speak  of  the  place;  perhaps 
they  were  there.  But  the  truants  were  much 
closer;  Nathan,  Chna,  and  Hadad  had  seen  him 
enter  the  tavern.  Chna  had  predicted  the  course 
of  events  to  that  point,  and  they  had  hidden  them- 
selves near  the  door.  Now  they  came  out  and  fol- 
lowed him  like  three  shadows. 

Suddenly  a  dog  rose  from  his  bed  in  the  filthy 
street,  stretched  himself,  and  went  off  at  a  slouch- 
ing trot.  The  light  of  a  brazier  fell  on  the  animal's 
gaunt  body,  revealing  its  colour  to  the  Assyrian; 
the  cur  was  amazingly  yellow.  "  '  A  yellow  dog 
walks  side  by  side  with  sure  misfortune,'  "  he  mut- 
tered, recalling  an  old  Babylonian  proverb,  and 
pausing  to  watch  the  beast.  "  The  gods  of  Babylon 
are  not  so  mighty  as  the  gods  of  Assyria,  but  it 
may  be  that  they  have  sent  me  warning.  I  was  cer- 
tain that  I  should  find  them  in  the  '  Jolly  Dwarfs,' 
and  it  may  be  that  I  got  there  too  soon ;  it  may  be 
that  they  are  now  there.  By  the  horns  of  Nebo! 
it  must  be  so,  for  even  now  the  yellow  brute  is 
whining  before  the  door  of  the  house  I  meant  to 


The  Reward  of  Hector  229 

enter;  failure  and  disappointment  are  surely  there, 
—  I  will  go  back  to  the  '  Jolly  Dwarfs.' ' 

Whereupon  he  began  so  suddenly  to  retrace  his 
steps,  as  to  convince  the  three  dogging  him  that 
they  had  been  discovered.  Concealment  was  there- 
fore useless,  they  thought,  and  Nathan,  reckless  and 
savage,  placed  himself  bodily  in  his  commander's 
path. 

"  I  have  come  to  seek  thee,"  said  Merodach. 
"  Look  thy  fill  as  thy  time  is  short.  Thou  hast 
disobeyed  me,  and  thou  must  die.  There  is  no 
pity  in  my  heart,  for  I  have  never  loved  thee." 

The  light  of  the  not  far  distant  brazier  fell  on 
the  leper's  distorted  face  and  snarling  lips,  as  he 
leaped  and  struck  fiercely  at  his  captain's  throat. 
But  the  latter  evaded  the  onset,  caught  his  wrist, 
and  wrenched  it  so  that  the  sword  dropped  from 
Nathan's  hand  to  the  street. 

"  I  will  not  defile  my  sword  with  thy  blood,  but 
slay  thee  with  thine  own  weapon,"  said  the  As- 
syrian, choking  him  and  bending  him  downward 
till  he  lay  prostrate  and  powerless  on  his  back. 
"  Thou  hast  always  meant  me  harm ;  from  the 
beginning  I  knew  thee  as  mine  enemy.  Listen, 
Nathan ;  my  hand  is  at  your  throat ;  you  shall  die 
like  a  choked  dog  unless  you  tell  me  the  cause  of 
your  enmity.  A  brave  man  has  no  fear  of  a  sol- 


230  A  Captain  of  Men 

dier's  death;  tell  me  the  truth  and  I  will  remove 
my  hand  from  your  throat  and  let  out  your  life 
with  your  own  good  steel." 

Nathan  wished  to  die  in  silence,  but  he  could 
not  endure  the  torture  of  suffocation.  He  signalled 
his  willingness  to  speak,  and  the  other  loosened  his 
grasp. 

"  'Twas  because  of  Hector  the  Greek,"  he  said, 
thickly.  "  The  drunken  fool  babbled  of  the  reward 
thy  death  should  bring  us  from  Tanith,  the  princess. 
Strike  quick,  —  if  thou  wilt." 

And  Merodach  struck  quickly  and  surely. 

The  night  was  some  two  hours  older  when  Chna 
and  Hadad,  the  former  carrying  a  wine-skin, 
knocked  at  the  door  of  a  modest  house  on  a  side 
street  leading  into  the  Great  Square. 

Hector  opened  the  door  almost  before  their  sum- 
mons had  sounded.  The  curiously  wrought  lamp 
trembled  in  his  hand,  and  his  voice  was  thin  and 
strained,  as  he  asked: 

"  Have  you  got  it  ?  Is  it  indeed  you,  Chna  ? 
Have  you  —  but  where  is  Nathan  ?  Come  in ;  don't 
stand  in  the  street,  —  we  might  be  heard." 

Hadad  laughed  noisily;  he  had  been  drinking  all 
day,  and  he  swayed  from  side  to  side,  leering  tip- 
sily  at  the  wine-skin.  Hector  caught  his  arm,  drew 


The  Reward  of  Hector  231 

him  into  the  room  and  shut  the  door.  Chna  cursed 
Hadad  for  a  fool  descended  from  a  line  of  fools 
for  generations  innumerable.  The  veteran  was 
even  surlier  than  usual,  and  Hector  noticed  that 
his  left  arm  was  bandaged  and  bloody.  Chna  un- 
did the  bandages,  grumbling  and  paying  no  atten- 
tion to  the  Greek's  questions  and  exclamations, 
until  he  had  uncovered  an  ugly-looking  wound. 

"  That's  what  it  cost,"  he  growled.  "  We  claim 
Nathan's  share." 

"  But  where  is  Nathan  ?  "  asked  Hector,  glanc- 
ing furtively  and  shrinkingly  at  the  wine-skin. 

"  Dead,"  replied  Chna. 

"  Gone  on  a  visit  to  Muth  in  the  Land  of  Noth- 
ingness," laughed  Hadad. 

"And  is  it  there?"  inquired  Hector,  pointing 
to  the  skin  at  Chna's  feet. 

"  It's  there,"  said  Chna.  "  We  perfumed  it  and 
wrapped  it  in  the  cloth  you  gave  us.  But  we  claim 
Nathan's  share." 

A  deep  sigh  of  relief  escaped  the  Greek,  an  ex- 
ultant light  shone  in  his  eyes. 

"  Tell  me  how  you  did  it  ?  Surely  'twas  like 
meeting  a  lion  in  the  desert." 

"  Nathan  did  the  hunting.  The  lot  fell  to  Nathan 
for  the  first  blow,  and  the  fool  met  the  Assyrian 


232  A  Captain  of  Men 

face  to  face,  and  was  like  a  child  in  his  grasp. 
Nathan  is  dead." 

"And  you  and  Hadad?  — " 

"  I  leaped  on  him  from  behind  and  held  his  arms. 
Hadad  struck  him  where  the  head  joins  the  neck, 
but  not  quick  enough  to  save  me  from  this.  It  is 
late;  we  claim  Nathan's  share." 

"Did  he  cry  out?" 

"  Not  a  word.     It  is  getting  late." 

Hector  sighed  again  for  happiness,  and  gave  him 
the  money.  Chna  counted  it,  assisted  by  Hadad, 
piece  by  piece;  saw  that  they  had  the  full  amount, 
laid  the  skin  at  Hector's  feet,  and  went  out,  say- 
ing nothing.  Hadad  followed,  with  the  hope  that 
Hector  would  not  drink  too  deeply  of  the  wine 
he  had  bought. 

The  Greek  stared  for  several  minutes  as  if  fas- 
cinated by  the  bundle  they  had  left  him.  After 
awhile  he  lifted  it,  as  if  to  test  its  weight.  His 
form  dilated,  a  proud  smile  lit  his  face,  and,  blow- 
ing out  the  light,  he  went  with  his  bundle  to  see 
Tanith. 

Not  long,  and  he  had  tapped  lightly  on  the  bronze 
shield  beside  her  door.  The  door  swung  softly 
open,  and  he  saw  a  white  figure  outlined  in  the 
darkness. 


The  Reward  of  Hector  233 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  asked  a  low  voice,  the  voice 
of  Tanith. 

"  I,  —  Hector." 

Tanith  beckoned  to  him,  and  he  followed  her  to 
her  room  in  the  story  above.  Closing  the  door 
behind  them,  she  drew  close  the  heavy  curtains,  and 
sat  down  on  her  couch,  watching  him  while  he 
opened  the  wine-skin  and  took  from  it  a  bundle 
wrapped  in  finest  linen.  She  shivered  ever  so 
slightly  and  pointed  to  a  stand.  Hector  carefully 
placed  the  bundle  on  it,  and  waited  for  her  to  speak. 

There  was  but  one  lamp  burning  in  the  room; 
the  place  appeared  gloomy,  even  weird  to  Hector, 
and  Tanith  was  very  quiet.  She  appeared  to  have 
forgotten  his  presence;  she  looked  continually  at 
the  bundle  upon  the  stand;  she  was  absolutely 
motionless,  she  would  not  speak.  It  seemed  ages 
before  she  motioned  him  to  a  stool  at  her  feet. 

"  Sit  here,"  she  said,  caressingly.  "  I  doubted 
you,  my  friend.  I  almost  thought  that  he  was  in- 
vincible." Her  hands  passed  gently  through  Hec- 
tor's shining  hair.  "  Tell  me  how  you  did  it,"  she 
whispered. 

"  He  had  commanded  that  none  should  leave  the 
ships  without  permission.  I  got  old  Chna  to  dis- 
obey, for  I  was  sure  that  Merodach  would  come 
after  him  himself.  I  was  also  certain  that  he 


234  A  Captain  of  Men 

would  seek  him  at  the  '  Tavern  of  the  Jolly 
Dwarfs.'  So  I  waited  for  him  near  the  tavern." 

Tanith's  hand  slipped  very  softly  down  his  cheek 
till  it  touched  his  neck  and  clung  to  it,  and  drew 
his  head  to  rest  against  her  knee. 

"  It  was  certain  that  he  would  go ;  you  are  very 
wise  to  plan,"  she  murmured,  and  her  voice  stirred 
Hector's  blood  as  will  soft,  strong  wine.  He  was 
beginning  to  see  himself  waiting  for  Merodach, 
his  lie  was  becoming  truth  to  him.  His  words  came 
faster,  easier;  he  was  exhilarated  by  the  interest 
of  his  story;  he  was  intoxicated  by  her  nearness; 
the  touch  of  her  hands  thrilled  him. 

He  related  how,  at  last,  he  saw  the  Assyrian 
coming  toward  the  tavern.  He  confessed  that  he 
had  been  tempted  to  strike  him  from  behind;  but 
she  had  doubted  his  courage,  and  he  determined 
to  show  her  how  greatly  she  had  wronged  him. 
He  was  there  to  please  her,  to  win  her,  —  that  was 
enough  to  make  a  coward  brave.  Therefore  he 
met  Merodach  face  to  face,  as  became  a  man.  He 
described  the  fury  of  the  other's  assault.  It  was 
marvellous  to  see  his  modesty  when  he  admitted 
that  things  looked  dark  for  him  before  the  As- 
syrian slipped.  It  was  the  fortune  of  war,  the 
gods  had  fought  on  his  side,  —  Merodach  was  dead. 


The  Reward  of  Hector  235 

Hector  pointed  expressively  toward  the  stand,  and 
held  his  peace. 

All  during  his  story  he  had  felt  her  hand  through 
his  hair,  and  down  his  cheek  to  his  neck. 

"  And  you  wish  me  to  believe  that  you  did  it 
for  love  of  me  ?  "  said  Tanith,  her  hand  like  velvet 
on  his  neck. 

"  I  would  die  for  you,  Tanith  —  for  love  of 
you,"  he  exclaimed,  passionately. 

"  Nay,  nay,  Hector ;  your  words  are  surely  ex- 
travagant boasting.  Men  often  speak  so  to  me; 
but,  when  the  test  comes,  they  gladly  live  without 
my  love." 

"  But  I  have  proved  my  truth.  A  lion  were  easier 
to  meet  than  Merodach.  Words  could  not  describe 
the  fearful  rush,  —  you  would  not  forget  your 
promise?  I  have  done  all  that  you  wished." 

"  You  have  done  all  I  wished,"  she  dreamily 
repeated.  "  You  have  dared  the  lion's  leap,  and 
still  you  live.  You  have  slain  him  for  me,  —  who 
could  believe  that  such  a  cowardly,  crawling  thing 
could  slay  him!  Oh,  you  liar!  you  foul,  sneaking 
liar!  You  cannot  move,  you  cannot  stir  for  fear 
of  me,  —  you  say  you  met  him  face  to  face.  Oh, 
you  killed  him,  but  you  lay  coiled  as  a  snake,  you 
stabbed  him  in  the  back  —  in  the  dark  —  without 
one  word  of  warning.  Even  now  there  is  death 


236  A  Captain  o£  Men 

in  your  heart,  —  and  you  say  you  fought  him. 
You  lie!  you  lie!  And  you  hoped  to  possess  me! 
I  loved  him,  fool!  I  love  him  now.  He  had  to 
die  because  of  my  love,  so  I  sent  you  to  do  my  will. 
When  you  promised  to  slay  him,  I  swore  to  myself 
that  you  should  join  him,  that  you  should  die  should 
you  succeed.  If  you  had  a  thousand  lives,  I  would 
take  them  all  —  slowly  —  slowly." 

An  icy  shiver  passed  through  the  Greek.  He 
strove  to  lift  her  hand  from  resting  on  his  throat, 
but  he  could  not  move  a  ringer.  He  was  frozen 
with  fear,  he  stared  upward  at  her  face,  motionless, 
utterly  speechless.  She  beheld  his  terror  and  smiled 
down  at  him,  mocking  his  voiceless  prayer.  Then 
he  wished  to  close  his  eyes,  to  escape  her  gaze, 
but  his  muscles  were  fixed  beyond  his  power  to 
will.  And  she  dallied  with  the  sweetness  of  his 
death;  she  laid  the  cool  edge  of  her  knife  against 
his  cheek,  she  kissed  his  staring  eyes. 

But  suddenly  they  heard  a  gentle  clangour  from 
the  shield  below,  —  some  one  was  seeking  admis- 
sion. The  sound  loosened  the  spell  binding  the 
Greek ;  a  shrill  cry  broke  from  his  lips,  he  attempted 
to  rise,  but  the  uplifted  hand  fell  and  Tanith  rose 
to  her  feet,  leaving  her  dagger  imbedded  in  his 
throat. 

She  smiled  as  she  stood,  watching  him  die.    Then 


The  Reward  of  Hector  237 

she  ran  to  the  stand  and  fondled  the  bundle  against 
her  breast,  as  a  mother  her  child.  Once  more  she 
heard  the  brazen  summons. 

Hastily  removing  Hector's  body  to  her  bedroom, 
she  went  down  and  opened  the  door  to  her  visitor, 
and  saw  the  figure  of  Merodach. 

First  her  hands  were  stretched  toward  him,  but 
shrinkingly,  then  to  the  wall  to  save  her  from  fall- 
ing. She  could  not  distinguish  his  face,  but  his  eyes 
seemed  to  scorch  her  through  the  darkness.  It  was 
impossible  to  mistake  his  form,  it  was  indeed  Mero- 
dach come  back  to  haunt  her.  A  flood  of  tender- 
ness overwhelmed  her  sense  of  guilt,  and  she  tried 
to  speak  to  him;  but  her  words  died  in  her  throat. 
Then  horror  leaped  to  life,  and  she  fled,  breathless 
and  voiceless,  back  to  her  room,  and  there  she  saw 
again  —  as  something  new  —  the  bundle  on  the 
stand.  He  was  here,  and  he  was  there,  she  thought, 
and,  fleeing  into  her  bedroom,  she  almost  fell  over 
Hector's  body.  Spurning  it  with  her  foot,  she  cried 
out  in  sudden  anger.  But  she  instantly  forgot  him 
and  returned  to  the  stand. 

Tears  ran  down  her  cheeks.  Kissing  the  bundle, 
she  slowly  undid  its  linen  wrappings,  then  shrieked, 
as  the  loathsome  head  of  Nathan  the  leper  fell  from 
her  hands  to  the  floor.  For  a  moment  she  was 
altogether  beside  herself,  she  knew  not  what  to 


238  A  Captain  of  Men 

think.  But  into  her  bewilderment  came  the  con- 
sciousness of  a  bodily  presence,  and  she  looked 
about  her  and  beheld  the  Assyrian,  standing  as  he 
had  stood  when  she  had  slain  the  panther.  Run- 
ning to  him,  she  fell,  sobbing,  against  his  breast. 

Disconcerted  and  amazed  by  her  unlooked-for 
action,  Merodach  held  her  in  close  embrace,  and 
pondered  the  reason  for  it.  He  was  positive  that 
Nathan  had  not  lied  to  him,  that  Tanith  had  in- 
spired the  attempt  so  recently  foiled.  Chna  and 
Hadad  had  informed  him  of  the  bargain  for  his 
head,  and  of  the  wily  veteran's  scheme  for  fooling 
the  Greek.  He  had  seen  them  decapitate  the  dead 
leper,  and  had  just  witnessed  Tanith's  horror  over 
the  opened  bundle.  This  was  all  quite  plain  and 
easy  to  comprehend,  and  he  had  deliberately  de- 
layed his  visit  to  her  that  she  might  have  time  to 
receive  Nathan's  head. 

In  the  outset  he  had  resolved  to  take  complete 
vengeance;  she  deserved  no  mercy,  and  he  would 
reproach  her  and  kill  her,  and  for  ever  free  himself 
of  her  devilries.  But  later  he  had  remembered 
Miriam,  and,  fearful  of  her  safety  during  his  long 
absence,  he  had  finally  concluded  to  frighten  Ta- 
nith into  harmlessness. 

Thus,  soldier  as  he  was,  he  had  carefully  per- 
fected his  plan  of  campaign  before  entering  the 


The  Reward  of  Hector  239 

field  of  operation.  Yet  here,  in  the  very  beginning 
of  battle,  he  found  his  plans  awry;  his  enemy  was 
weeping  in  his  arms.  And  he  knew  that  her  tears 
were  genuine,  nor  could  he  doubt  the  adoration  of 
her  eyes. 

He  felt  her  hand  upon  his  cheek,  he  was  moved 
by  the  abandon  of  her  love;  Tanith  had  never  been 
powerless  to  tempt  him.  Yet  until  now  he  had 
mistrusted  her,  until  this  unmistakable  sincerity 
of  her  passion  led  him  into  error,  and  he  considered 
himself  her  conqueror;  he  would  impose  terms 
upon  his  captive. 

Consequently  he  began  to  be  stern  with  her.  He 
had  good  reason,  he  said,  to  suspect  her,  and  he 
was  there  to  warn  her  of  his  growing  impatience. 
He  went  even  further,  he  told  her  that  he  had  medi- 
tated her  death;  and  so  great  was  his  earnestness, 
his  blindness,  that  he  failed  to  notice  that  her  hand 
had  left  his  face.  Contrition  and  shame  blended 
with  the  love  in  her  gaze.  She  tremulously  sighed, 
she  was  charming  in  unusual  womanliness. 

"  You  are  very  stern,  my  lord,"  she  timidly  com- 
plained. "  Yet  you  cannot  destroy  my  love,"  and, 
drawing  a  little  from  him,  —  loosening  his  em- 
brace, —  she  snatched  the  dagger  from  his  belt, 
and  smote  him  hard  and  fair  upon  the  breast. 

So  shrewd  was  the  blow  that  Merodach  must 


240  A  Captain  of  Men 

have  joined  Hector  and  Nathan,  were  it  not  for 
the  golden  disk  that  Miriam  had  given  him.  As 
it  was,  the  dagger  glanced  across  the  disk,  severed 
its  golden  chain,  and  slashed  his  chest. 

Instantly  appreciating  the  folly  of  his  imagin- 
ings, yet  filled  with  admiration  of  her  reckless  cour- 
age, he  enfolded  her  in  an  embrace  that  crushed 
her  into  helplessness.  Tighter  and  tighter  became 
his  clasp,  till  she  gasped  for  breath.  Yet,  cool  as 
he  was  to  calculate  and  quick  to  note  the  effect 
of  what  he  did,  nevertheless  he  trembled  because 
it  was  she  he  held,  and  his  voice  was  husky  with 
passion. 

"By  the  girdle  of  Ishtar!  By  Ashtoreth!  I 
should  kill  you  now,  —  but  I  cannot.  Tis  but  a 
little  tightening  of  my  arms,  and  you  die  here, 
against  the  breast  you  have  smitten.  There  was 
deadly  anger  in  my  heart;  I  meant  not  to  spare 
you.  Even  now  your  soft  throat  tempts  me,  my 
fingers  long  to  clutch  it.  By  Asshur!  I  meant  to 
kill  you  —  but  your  beauty  has  overcome  me.  My 
hatred  is  turned  to  love,  —  you  have  won  me 
against  my  will.  Behold  you  are  free,  Tanith. 
Here  is  the  knife ;  strike,  Tanith,  —  my  heart  is 
uncovered  for  your  blow." 

Tanith  took  the  knife  and  held  it  for  an  instant, 


The  Reward  of  Hector  241 

then  returned  it  to  his  belt,  a  strange  change  com- 
ing over  her  face. 

"  The  gods  have  saved  you  from  my  wrath.  I 
promised  love  to  the  cowardly  Greek  in  return  for 
your  head.  Hector  is  dead,  and  I  have  only  the 
head  of  Nathan  the  leper.  Never  before  has  my 
hand  failed  of  performing  my  will;  but  to-night 
I  struck,  and  you  are  still  alive.  I  felt  your  arms 
about  me,  I  beheld  the  promise  of  death  in  your 
gaze,  and  it  was  as  if  Melkarth  himself  were  come 
to  rule  me.  Now  you  bid  me  strike,  —  and  I  find 
that  I  have  become  the  slave  of  my  lord." 

"  Do  you  truly  love  me,  Tanith  ?  " 

"  As  I  have  never  loved  before.  There  is  noth- 
ing I  am  not  willing  to  do  to  prove  my  truth." 

"  Will  you  wait  for  my  return  ?  To-night  I 
shall  sail  for  the  waters  of  the  Unknown  Sea. 
Asshur  has  sent  me  to  do  a  mighty  deed.  Will 
you  faithfully  await  my  return?" 

"  I  will  wait,  my  lord,  until  either  you  or  your 
dead  body  is  here  to  release  me.  You  will  not  fail 
in  your  undertaking.  I  cannot  know  now  why  I 
am  not  as  I  have  been ;  I  only  know  that  I  am  for 
ever  yours,  Merodach." 

Here  she  was  silent  a  long  time,  thinking  deeply. 
At  last  she  put  her  hands  upon  his  shoulders  and 
kissed  his  cheeks  and  lips. 


242  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  It  may  be  that  this  new  love  will  keep  me  from 
the  evil  spirits  which  have  so  long  possessed  me. 
I  shall  watch  for  you  day  by  day,  but  —  O  Mero- 
dach !  should  you  be  false  —  should  you  be  false !  " 

And  thus  they  parted  before  the  long  voyage. 
He  felt  that  he  had  won  the  fight,  that  Miriam  was 
safe.  But,  as  he  paused  and  looked  back  at  Tanith, 
standing  in  the  doorway,  he  was  tempted  to  tell 
her  the  truth.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  relinquish 
the  expedition?  Would  it  not  be  wiser  to  go  with 
Miriam  to  Palestine  and  be  happy  in  her  love? 

But  the  temptation  passed,  and  he  went  on  his 
way  to  the  end. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

HADAD    DRINKS    TO    TANITH^S     HEALTH 

ABOUT  two  hours  later  there  was  a  small  party 
gathered  on  the  wharf  to  watch  the  departure  of 
the  expedition. 

Esmun  had  been  surprised  by  the  appearance  of 
Merodach  accompanied  by  the  king.  A  little  later 
still,  his  surprise  was  changed  to  consternation  by 
the  coming  of  his  daughter  with  Hiram  Abif.  But 
he  soon  learned  that  she  was  not  there  to  prevent 
the  sailing  of  the  ships,  and  he  came  from  his  place 
of  concealment  and  joined  them  on  the  wharf. 

Merodach  had  gone  from  Tanith  to  remind  the 
king  of  his  promise  to  befriend  Miriam,  to  watch 
over  her  during  the  coming  months.  He  also 
hinted  to  the  king  that  he  distrusted  Tanith. 

The  little  group  waited  until  the  vessels  had 
cleared  the  islands  and  were  well  out  to  sea.  They 
shouted  their  last  farewells,  and  then  took  the  usual 
subject  of  the  chance  of  success  or  failure.  All 

243 


244  A  Captain  of  Men 

had  been  impressed  by  their  last  view  of  the  As- 
syrian as  he  stood,  eager  and  quite  forgetful  of 
their  presence,  in  the  bow  of  his  ship.  The  mys- 
tery of  the  unknown  sea,  the  expectancy  of  marvel- 
lous adventures  were  urging  him  westward.  Love 
was  sweet  in  times  of  idleness,  but  the  opportunity 
to  do  and  dare  was  infinitely  higher.  There  were 
malignant  spirits,  demons  of  the  deep,  to  be  over- 
come, new  lands  to  be  discovered;  he  could  think 
of  nothing  save  the  future.  Miriam  and  Tanith, 
the  hopes  and  ambitions  of  Esmun  and  the  king, 
the  art  and  philosophy  of  the  great  and  wayward 
artist,  had  ceased  to  be;  and  the  watchers  felt  that 
they  had  no  place  in  this  hour  of  his  triumph. 

So  plain  was  this  to  be  seen  that  the  king  began 
speaking  of  it  to  Tanith.  They  were  a  little  apart 
from  the  others,  and  he  also  deemed  it  a  favourable 
time  to  inform  her  of  his  purpose  to  protect  Miriam. 
By  well-directed,  yet  imperceptible  effort,  he  con- 
trolled the  conversation  and  led  it  until  they  spoke 
naturally  of  the  Jewess.  As  if  he  felt  assured  of 
her  knowledge  of  the  fact,  he  enlightened  Tanith  of 
her  father's  promise  of  freeing  Miriam  at  the  proper 
time.  He  alluded,  moreover,  to  Miriam's  kinship 
to  David,  as  it  provided  him  a  fortunate  opportunity 
for  showing  his  good-will  to  one  likely  to  be  king 
of  a  neighbouring  state.  He  had  no  doubt  that 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health   245 

David  would  eventually  conquer  the  Philistines-; 
and  it  would  be  a  fine  stroke  of  policy  to  secure 
friends  willing  to  supply  Sidonia  with  grain  and 
other  provisions.  Indeed  he  had  had  a  long  inter- 
view with  Abiram  that  very  day  concerning  these 
matters,  and  the  Israelites  and  Phoenicians  would 
surely  be  friends. 

So  unusually  confidential  was  the  king  as  rather 
to  overshoot  his  mark.  He  was,  in  fact,  still  young 
enough  to  become  enamoured  of  his  own  dexterity, 
and  Tanith  became  very  curious  to  learn  what  this 
wonderful  frankness  might  mean.  She  was,  there- 
fore, prepared  for  the  summing  up  of  the  matter, 
and  preserved  a  fine  carelessness  during  its  presenta- 
tion. 

Not  only  would  it  be  wise  on  David's  account, 
said  the  king,  for  him  to  cultivate  Miriam,  but  it 
would  be  even  better  by  such  means  to  draw  the 
fangs  of  that  daring  adventurer,  Merodach.  Let 
him  marry  the  Hebrew  maiden,  let  her  cousin  David 
become  all-powerful  in  southern  Syria,  and  it  would 
naturally  follow  that  the  Phoenicians  would  be  left 
masters  of  the  sea,  and  of  its  commerce. 

Taking  everything  into  consideration,  the  king 
was  quite  successful  in  destroying  the  structure 
Merodach  had  laboured  so  hard  to  rear,  and  this 


246  A  Captain  of  Men 

with    the    most    friendly    intentions    toward    the 
builder. 

"  Have  you  certain  knowledge  that  he  will  marry 
Miriam  ?  "  asked  Tanith,  as  one  speaks  to  fill  an 
idle  moment. 

"  I  cannot  doubt  it.  He  did  not  tell  me  so 
directly,  but  his  language  to  me  to-night  was  simple 
to  comprehend.  He  will  surely  wed  her  on  his 
return." 

"  At  what  hour  did  he  tell  you  ? "  inquired 
Tanith,  still  hoping  that  the  answer  might  prove 
her  fears  to  be  groundless. 

"  He  asked  me  to  —  he  talked  with  me  of  her 
while  we  were  walking  together  on  our  way  here." 

"  And  that  was  after  he  left  me,"  said  she  to 
herself.  Then  aloud,  —  "  It  is  growing  late,  and  the 
breeze  from  the  water  is  chilly.  I  will  return  to 
my  home,  —  if  the  king  will  permit." 

Her  heart  was  in  a  tumult;  she  longed  to  hide 
herself  where  she  could  give  full  sway  to  the  rage 
and  self-scorn  almost  strangling  her.  He  had 
played  with  her  to  the  last,  —  and  she  had  been  glad 
to  believe  him. 

Hastening  to  her  room,  she  crossed  its  thresh- 
old and  saw  the  golden  disk  lying  among  some 
furs.  Miriam  had  worn  it  before  her,  had  told 
how  she  got  it.  She  discovered  the  mark  on  it 


Hadad   Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health    247 

made  by  the  knife;  the  gift  of  Miriam  had  saved 
Merodach's  life.  It  was  true  that  he  was  gone,  but 
Miriam  was  in  her  power,  and  she  would  strike 
him  through  Miriam. 

It  would  not  be  far  from  the  truth  to  say  that  this 
night  marked  a  distinct  change  in  the  character  of 
Tanith.  Until  then,  her  actions  for  good  or  evil 
—  outside  of  mercantile  matters  —  had  been  largely 
impulsive.  For  while  it  had  been  her  custom  to 
attain  her  desires  in  spite  of  intervening  obstacles, 
whether  material  or  moral,  it  was  also  true  that, 
hitherto,  circumstances  had  not  roused  her  to  the 
full  use  of  her  evil  qualities.  For  the  first  time,  she 
found  herself  opposed  by  a  will  at  least  equal  to  her 
own,  in  conjunction  with  equal  subtlety  and  a  like 
use  of  questionable  methods. 

Success  in  accomplishing  her  impulses  in  the 
past  gave  her  memories  which  were  as  fuel  to  the 
inward  fire  now  consuming  her.  Truly,  it  may  be 
said  that,  for  a  time,  her  passions  were  molten,  in 
seething  ferment;  and  that  when  they  cooled  and 
hardened,  it  was  in  the  mould  of  undying  enmity 
and  crudest  purpose  toward  Miriam.  Nor  was  it 
necessary  that  the  punishment  of  her  slave  should 
be  immediate.  On  the  contrary,  the  thought  of 
delay  pleased  Tanith;  she  could  thereby  nurse 
her  hatred  and  enjoy  it  till  she  might  use  it  most 


248  A  Captain  of  Men 

effectively.  It  was  her  dearest  luxury  to  have 
Miriam  near  her,  to  shower  benefits  upon  her 
slave,  to  display  toward  her  the  perfection  of 
graciousness. 

In  one  year  —  or  more  —  Merodach  would  re- 
turn, completely  successful.  Tanith  had  easily 
informed  herself  of  the  real  nature  of  his  undertak- 
ing. He  had  inspired  her  with  absolute  confidence 
in  his  ability  to  control  the  most  adverse  happenings. 
He  must  succeed,  and  she  had  no  doubt  that,  after 
she  had  disposed  of  Miriam,  he  must  finally  turn 
to  her.  Yet  he  had  made  her  suffer,  and  he  must 
first  receive  his  punishment. 

This  outline  of  Tanith's  inner  life,  during  the 
first  months  of  the  Assyrian's  absence,  will  serve 
to  explain  what  was  to  her  slave  an  engrossing 
problem.  In  the  beginning,  Miriam  distrusted  the 
favour  of  her  mistress,  but  as  time  passed,  and  she 
saw  no  change,  she  became  much  bewildered.  She 
began  to  question  the  justness  of  her  suspicions; 
there  were  even  periods  when  she  had  a  curious 
affection  for  her  mistress,  and  even  Hiram,  the 
dwarf,  began  to  wonder  at  the  inexplicable  sweet- 
ness of  the  woman  he  loved. 

Yet  the  artist  was  not  altogether  deceived.  He 
believed  in  her  ability  to  pursue  consistently  to  the 
end.  She  had  manifested  such  capacity  in  business 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health    249 

transactions,  and  he  often  mused  in  secret  over  the 
probability  of  her  present  conduct  being  a  carefully 
conceived  plan  outside  of  business. 

Therefore,  he  bided  his  time  in  a  curious  mix- 
ture of  suspicious  foreboding  and  a  keen  enjoyment 
of  her  unwonted  complacency.  If  her  new  and 
persistent  kindness  should  be  a  cunningly  devised 
veil  to  mask  the  workings  of  a  sinister  scheme,  he 
was  artist  enough  to  appreciate  the  skill  of  its 
workmanship. 

This  was  Hiram  the  artist.  But  Hiram  the  lover 
often  tried  to  prove  to  the  artist  that  Tanith  was 
beginning  to  overlook  his  deformity,  that  it  was 
barely  possible  that  she  might  grow  to  love  him. 
How  else  could  he  interpret  the  increasing  prefer- 
ence she  had  begun  to  show  for  his  society?  She 
was  constantly  with  him.  It  was  strange  that,  keen 
as  he  was,  he  never  realized  how  often  their  con- 
versation was  about  their  mutual  friend,  Merodach. 

Leaving  now  this  well-nigh  inextricable  tangle 
of  human  vanity,  deceit,  and  passion,  let  us  dwell 
•briefly  on  the  beginning  of  the  great  famine. 
That  year  the  land  showed  signs  of  drought.  Baal- 
Hamon,  the  burning  sun,  dried  up  the  moisture 
of  air  and  ground,  and  the  crops  of  barley  and  millet 
seed  fell  much  below  the  average.  The  Prince 
Esmun  held  many  conferences  with  his  daughter 


250  A  Captain  of  Men 

over  the  prospective  value  of  cereals,  so  that  even 
tin  and  the  purple  murex-fish  became  subjects  of 
momentary  significance,  as  they  watched  the  rise 
of  the  price  of  grain.  They  scanned  both  earth 
and  sky,  they  kept  a  business  hand  continually  on 
the  pulse  of  trade.  The  stores  of  grain  were  grow- 
ing low,  the  air  seemed  parched  and  lifeless,  and  the 
reports  from  Egypt  were  disquieting. 

Sometimes  Miriam  was  present  during  these  con- 
ferences, for  Tanith  could  not  be  happy  without 
her  favourite  slave,  and  one  day  they  discussed  the 
wisdom  of  buying  up  the  entire  market  of  cereals. 
Miriam  heard  them,  and  that  evening  she  told  her 
mistress  of  Joseph,  and  of  his  management  during 
the  years  of  Egyptian  plenty  and  famine.  The 
story  appealed  strongly  to  Tanith.  She  repeated  it 
to  her  father,  and  the  house  of  Esmun  began  those 
far-reaching  operations  which  ended  in  its  gaining 
control  of  the  supply  of  grain.  They  filled  their 
granaries,  and  built  new  ones;  they  bought  largely, 
and  sold  sparingly,  and  so  early  were  they  in  their 
action  that  their  fellow  merchants  laughed  at  them 
in  secret,  and  sold  them  what  they  had. 

But  as  days  went  by  and  the  rains  failed,  and, 
still  later,  when  the  watchers  in  the  north  saw  the 
trickling  waters  of  the  river  Adonis  in  place  of  the 


Hadad   Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health    251 

blood-red  torrent  of  flood-time,  many  began  to 
grumble  because  Esmun  owned  all  the  grain. 

Discontent  showed  a  haggard  face  amongst  the 
poor,  and  the  king  began  to  be  tormented  by  peti- 
tions for  a  general  sacrifice  to  Baal-Moloch. 
Trouble  was  fomenting  deep  down  among  the  dregs, 
and  the  king  feared  the  rising  of  the  passions  of 
the  lower  people.  He  recalled  the  half-hearted 
riot  of  the  Feast  of  Brands;  what  might  not  hap- 
pen during  the  excitement  of  general  propitiation? 
Many  of  the  rich  would  undoubtedly  seek  to  escape, 
as  they  had  in  the  past,  by  buying  children  of  the 
poor.  Worst  of  allr  the  king  was  himself  a  father, 
and  he  shuddered  to  think  that  even  he  might  be 
called  upon  to  furnish  the  offering. 

Naturally,  he  sought  to  put  off  the  evil  day.  He 
increased  his  guard  of  mercenaries,  and  he  bitterly 
regretted  the  absence  of  Merodach.  By  this  time 
more  than  a  year  had  elapsed  since  he  had  watched 
the  Assyrian  from  the  wharf,  and  it  was  possible 
for  them  to  have  news  of  him  any  day.  And  once 
more  Prince  Esmun  commenced  to  haunt  his  island 
warehouse  for  a  sight  of  a  returning  fleet. 

Finally,  he  had  his  reward,  and  even  the  famine, 
now  become  a  certainty,  was  forgotten  in  the 
excitement  of  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  laden  with  tin. 
There  were  also  rumours  of  fierce  battles  in  the 


252  A   Captain  of  Men 

mountains,  of  the  unequalled  daring  of  Merodach 
and  his  company.  It  was  reported  that  a  vessel, 
a  bireme  from  Gadir,  had  landed  several  days  ago 
at  Arvad.  It  was  said  to  have  passed  the  slower- 
sailing  freighters,  carrying  the  tin,  and  news  had 
come  from  Arvad.  This  was,  indeed,  the  truth, 
and  Esmun  and  Tanith,  with  thousands  of  others, 
impatiently  waited  to  see  their  ships. 

Best  of  all,  that  night  Hiram  the  king,  Esmun 
the  prince,  and  the  lady  Tanith,  sat  late  listening  to 
Hadad,  the  messenger  of  Merodach.  Worn,  and 
suffering,  as  he  was,  from  a  terrible  wound,  it  was 
a  pleasing  sight  to  see  Hadad  expand  and  grow 
radiant  under  the  spell  of  unlimited  wine  and 
eager  listeners. 

And  this  is  the  tale  he  told: 

"  Next  to  the  honour  of  speaking  for  the  pleas- 
ure of  my  lord  the  king,  and  for  the  ears  of  Esmun 
the  prince,  and  to  my  lady  Tanith,  is  my  glory  in 
having  served  under  that  greatest  of  captains, 
Merodach,"  he  began,  for  it  should  be  known  that 
Hadad  prided  himself  upon  his  ability  to  suit  his 
conversation  to  the  requirements  of  his  varied 
audiences. 

"  For  no  one  can  deny  that  only  a  great  com- 
mander could  have  controlled  five  score  of  the 
bravest  and  most  lawless  men  in  all  Sidonia.  But 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health   253 

I  will  now  begin  with  the  first  incident  of  our 
voyage.  On  the  seventh  day  out  the  god  Esmun 
blew  fiercely  against  us,  and  the  waves  bid  fair  to 
overwhelm  us  in  the  very  start.  Three  strong  men 
were  swept  overboard  and  drowned,  and  we  began 
to  vow  offerings  to  the  gods,  and  to  long  for  the 
shelter  and  the  flagons  of  the  '  Jolly  Dwarfs.'  I 
speak  the  truth,  my  lord  the  king,  and  am  not 
ashamed  to  own  my  fear,  nor  to  testify  that  our 
commander  was  the  only  one  who  kept  an  even 
voice  and  a  pleasant  face  during  the  storm.  Even 
Chna,  the  best  sailor  on  the  sea,  forgot  to  curse, 
and  growled  a  prayer. 

"  The  tempest  was  at  its  height  when  our  cap- 
tain sent  the  word  that  there  was  something  wrong 
in  our  ship.  He  declared  that  the  storm  was  to 
warn  us  of  a  traitor,  that  the  gods  were  angry, 
and  that,  unless  we  discovered  the  identity  of  the 
one  secretly  plotting  against  him,  all  would  be  lost 
—  save  only  himself.  Whereupon,  Chna,  the  next 
in  command,  and  I,  the  officer  next  to  Chna,  began 
to  cast  lots  upon  the  crew ;  but  no  man  was  taken." 

"  How  can  that  be  true  ?  "  exclaimed  the  king. 
"  Were  not  the  lots  all  marked  with  the  names  of 
the  men  aboard?  " 

"  All  were  marked ;  I  myself  saw  Chna  mark 
them.  But  the  lot  drawn  was  blank,  and  we  sat 


254  A  Captain  of  Men 

foolish  in  the  storm,  listening  to  Chna  blaspheme. 
Finally,  Chna  informed  our  captain  of  the  mystery, 
and  Merodach  was  silent  for  a  time.  But  at  last  he 
said :  '  It  must  be  that  a  traitor  is  hidden  amongst 
us;  search  the  ship.'  This  we  did,  and  one  —  I 
cannot  remember  who —  discovered  Hanno,  the 
friend  of  Nathan  the  leper,  hiding  among  the 
stores." 

"  And  where  was  Nathan  ?  "  suddenly  asked  the 
merchant.  "  Before  our  ships  left  the  wharf  I  saw 
Chna  and  Nathan  and  you  go  ashore;  but  now  it 
conies  to  me  that  only  you  and  Chna  returned. 
Where  was  Nathan?  And  tell  me  of  Hector.  My 
daughter  told  me  how,  at  the  last  moment,  he  had 
decided  to  join  the  expedition.  I  would  not  inter- 
rupt the  narrative,  but  I  have  always  been  curious 
to  know  how  Hector  fared,  for  every  one  knew  his 
hatred  of  the  sea.  Has  the  Greek  done  worthily  ?  " 

It  was  as  though  the  merchant  had  pricked  the 
bubble  of  Hadad's  swelling  pride,  leaving  him  flat 
and  empty.  Only  too  well  did  he  remember  why 
Nathan  did  not  accompany  the  expedition.  But 
what  was  this  fable  of  Hector?  Hector  had  not 
sailed  with  them;  what  did  Esmun  mean?  A  cold 
sweat  broke  out  from  every  pore,  and  Hadad 
glanced  stealthily  at  Tanith,  but  her  impassive  face 
was  beyond  his  reading.  Only  she  and  Zagros,  her 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health   255 

Nubian  slave,  knew  Hector's  resting-place.  Lies 
and  deceit  and  deadly  peril  were  thick  about  him, 
he  could  only  move  blindly  onward  as  Fate  should 
direct  him. 

"  Tis  true,  Nathan  —  returned  not  with  us," 
agreed  Hadad,  sick  with  terror.  "  We  met  the  lord 
Merodach,  and  he  —  he  ordered  us  to  return,  but 
Nathan  refused.  As  for  the  Greek,  there  is  little  to 
say.  He  kept  the  company's  stores,  he  was  our 
captain's  clerk;  he  was  killed  by  the  barbarians 
in  our  first  battle.  Hector  was  quite  useless  on  the 
sea,  but  he  surprised  us  all  by  his  bravery  on 
land." 

"  And  what  said  your  lord  Merodach  when 
Nathan  refused  to  obey  ?  "  asked  Tanith,  pleasantly. 

A  crushing  weight  was  lifted  from  Hadad's 
heart.  He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  laughed, 
boisterously.  "  He  let  his  sword  speak  for  him, 
and  Chna  and  I  dropped  Nathan's  —  what  once 
was  Nathan,  into  the  harbour." 

Then,  continuing  his  narrative,  he  said :  "  Hanno 
was  there  for  mischief,  so  we  cast  him  overboard 
as  an  offering  to  the  gods.  It  was  as  if  the  last 
breath  of  the  storm  bore  from  us  his  drowning  cry, 
for  the  offering  was  accepted,  and  we  were  sent  a 
calm.  It  was  wonderful  to  see,  yet  Chna  chuckled, 
and  swore  that  my  lord  Merodach  had  known  of 


256  A  Captain   of  Men 

Hanno's  presence  in  the  ship  three  days  before  the 
storm." 

Hadad  paused,  and  drank  deeply. 

"  You  said  it  was  Chna  who  marked  the  lots," 
observed  Tanith,  rising  and  filling  her  cup. 

"  Yes,  my  lady  Tanith,  he  let  no  other  hand  but 
his  own  touch  them." 

"  Of  course  the  men  were  all  satisfied  to  know 
of  Chna's  carefulness  ?  "  she  suggested. 

A  queer  look  passed  over  Hadad's  face.  He  re- 
called how  often  his  ancient  partner  had  cheated 
him  while  gambling;  he  remembered  the  night  in 
the  tavern,  when  he  and  Nathan  and  Chna  had 
cast  lots  to  determine  which  of  them  should  strike 
the  Assyrian  first.  And  he  had  a  very  vivid  recol- 
lection of  the  sly  glances  the  old  scoundrel  gave 
him  when  Nathan  was  selected.  Chna  had  even 
chuckled  then,  and  whispered :  "  The  gods  never 
desert  us  when  I  cast  the  lots."  But  that  would 
keep  till  he  saw  Chna  again,  so  he  went  on  with  his 
story. 

"  From  that  night,  till  we  landed  at  the  mouth  of 
the  great  river  (the  Rhone),  —  there  is  nothing  to 
relate  save  this,  —  each  day  our  company  was  com- 
pelled by  our  commander  to  spend  at  least  an  hour 
in  the  places  of  the  rowers.  Later  I  came  to  under- 
stand why  he  forced  us  to  such  hardship,  and  why 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health   257 

he  so  often  relieved  the  sailing-master  from  sailing 
the  ship.  At  that  time  I  knew  nothing  of  what  was 
to  come." 

The  three  listeners  exchanged  glances,  and  bent 
nearer  to  Hadad. 

"  There  is  also  little  worth  telling  of  our  journey 
overland  to  meet  the  caravan.  But  from  the  day 
we  left  the  temple  of  Melkarth,  amid  the  snow  on 
the  mountain,  till  the  day  we  had  the  first  sight 
of  your  ships  by  the  shore,  we  fought  our  way 
and  marked  it  by  our  dead.  We  were  always  out- 
numbered; the  barbarians  were  as  the  sands,  and 
fierce  as  wolves.  They  assailed  us  when  we  ate  our 
meals,  upon  the  march,  and  while  we  slept.  We 
learned  then  to  know  the  full  greatness  of  our 
leader;  he  never  despaired;  he  was  always  cheer- 
ful with  us  and  terrible  to  them;  we  were  his 
children,  and  he  gave  us  food,  starving  that  he 
might  give  it.  And  in  our  last  battle,  when  we  were 
reduced  to  a  scant  three  score  of  hungry,  yet  un- 
conquerable fighters  against  a  countless  horde,  we 
won  the  victory.  And,  during  that  fight,  when  I 
was  wounded  almost  to  death,  and  was  a  prisoner, 
my  lord  fought  his  way  alone  to  save  me.  He 
saved  me,  and  I  love  him  better  than  my  life,  but  he 
made  me  leave  him  when  he  needed  me  the  most; 
for  my  own  sake  he  did  it. 


258  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  Now,  my  lord  the  king,  and  Prince  Esmun, 
and  my  lady  Tanith,  I  am  sent  to  tell  you  this: 
after  we  had  loaded  the  tin  that  we  had  saved  for 
you,  our  commander  took  us  —  his  own  men  — 
alone  into  a  place  beneath  the  trees.  He  spoke  to 
us  of  the  battles  we  had  fought  with  him,  of  the 
bleaching  bones  of  our  dead  comrades.  Yea,  he 
spoke  till  we  were  as  wax,  as  melted  wax  in  his 
hands.  He  had  trained  us,  we  were  his  handiwork ; 
he  knew  us  and  we  knew  him,  and  he  had  but  to 
say  the  word,  and  we  would  follow  him  —  any- 
where. He  told  us  that  it  was  in  our  power  to 
make  our  names  immortal.  Wounded  as  I  was, 
I  lay  there  and  heard  him,  and  wept  because  I 
could  not  crawl  to  him  and  touch  him.  '  Who  of 
you  will  go  with  me  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Mel- 
karth  and  find  the  land  of  tin  ? '  he  asked.  Chna 
spoke  first,  then  all  the  rest,  swearing  to  go  over  the 
end  of  the  earth  if  he  bade  them.  By  Esmun !  and 
by  Ashtoreth !  you  should  have  seen  his  face ! 

"  Then  he  came  to  me  where  I  lay,  and  talked 
to  me  like  a  brother.  He  said  that  I  must  come 
back  to  you,  that  he  would  leave  me  in  Gadir,  and 
that  after  I  became  well  I  must  bring  you  this 
word.  It  was  really  because  of  my  wound  that 
he  sent  me;  he  knew  that  I  should  be  happier  dying 


Hadad  Drinks  to  Tanith's  Health   259 

with  him,  —  but  he  told  me  that  obedience  was 
greater  than  service." 

Tanith  gazed  curiously  at  the  tear-stained  face 
of  this  man,  once  the  most  reckless  and  lawless 
of  vagabonds.  She  knew  that  he  was  above  his 
associates  intellectually,  and  she  had  despised  him 
for  the  wreck  he  had  made  of  his  life.  It  was  past 
her  power  of  comprehension  to  understand  how 
Merodach  had  been  able  to  change  him;  he  was 
become  dangerous  in  his  awakened  manhood. 

"  After  that  we  went  to  Gadir,"  he  said,  hastily. 
"  There  our  commander  secured  a  fast-sailing 
bireme,  manned  it  altogether  with  our  company, 
and  I  —  I  saw  them  sail  away.  It  was  a  long  time 
before  I  was  able  to  come  back.  And  now,  my  lord 
the  king,  I  am  instructed  to  deliver  the  king  this 
message:  He  told  me  to  assure  the  lord  our  king 
that  he  would  come  back  with  success,  or  die 
failing." 

"  You  have  done  well,"  exclaimed  the  king. 
"  You  have  been  brave  and  loyal.  I  will  not  fail  to 
reward  you  as  you  deserve."  The  merchant  like- 
wise praised  him ;  and  Tanith  held  to  him  her  own 
cup,  speaking  so  sweetly  that  he  knew  not  what  he 
drank. 

But  after  he  had  left  them,  and  was  walking  in  the 
Great  Square,  his  feet  became  heavy  as  lead.  He 


260  A  Captain  of  Men 

could  not  feel  them  touch  the  ground;  they  were 
icy  cold,  and  the  chill  crept  slowly  upward.  With 
much  difficulty  he  dragged  himself  step  by  step 
toward  the  "  Jolly  Dwarfs ;  "  he  would  rest  there 
for  the  night.  But  at  last  he  understood  that  the 
numbness  of  death  was  reaching  his  heart,  and  he 
sat  down  on  a  door-step  and  died,  remembering  how 
Tanith  had  smiled  as  she  gave  him  the  cup. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

IN    THE    UNKNOWN    SEA 

Now  passing  from  the  story  of  Hadad  to  Mero- 
dach  himself,  it  may  be  better  for  us  to  know  more 
of  the  thoughts  of  his  scheming  brain.  It  was  a 
fact  that  distance  and  absence  had  power  to  weaken 
the  influence  which  Tanith  had  over  him  when  they 
were  together;  for  there  was  more  in  his  conduct 
with  her  than  mere  dissimulation.  But  what  in- 
fluence she  did  have  had  its  strength  chiefly  through 
his  bodily  senses. 

With  Miriam  and  his  love  for  her,  the  truth  was 
quite  different.  She  drew  his  spirit,  and,  as  the 
first  glow  of  triumph  gave  place  to  the  routine  and 
cares  belonging  to  the  voyage,  he  began  to  think 
of  her.  He  felt  that  she  was  near  him,  and  often, 
when  he  was  alone  in  the  night,  he  could  see  her 
face  and  form.  Sometimes  he  tried  to  bring  to 
his  mental  vision  the  features  of  Tanith,  but  the 
picture  was  always  blurred  and  exceedingly  vague. 
And  this  seemed  strange  to  him  and  unaccountable, 

261 


262  A  Captain   of  Men 

because  he  had  been  with  Tanith  oftener  than  with 
Miriam. 

In  the  commencement  of  what  might  be  termed 
this  spiritual  companionship,  his  memory  presented 
no  more  than  Miriam's  physical  perfections.  But 
one  night,  as  he  lay  wrapped  in  his  cloak  in  the 
snow,  she  seemed  to  speak  to  him,  and  from  then 
onward  he  found  his  mind  stored  with  her  words. 
Then  he  stopped  trying  to  think  of  Tanith,  and  his 
love  for  Miriam  opened  from  bud  to  blossom  and 
bloom,  and  deep  pleasure  and  keen  longing  entered 
his  heart.  This  vividness  of  his  memories  was 
very  precious,  but  he  yearned  to  be  with  her,  and  at 
last  he  fully  appreciated  her  desire  to  be  alone  with 
him,  to  spend  their  lives  together  among  her  native 
hills.  This  he  deemed  a  weakness,  yet  it  moved  him 
mightily. 

Besides  this  there  was  another  disturbing  ele- 
ment in  these  reveries.  There  were  times  when  she 
seemed  to  commune  with  him,  as  she  had  when  they 
were  alone  together  in  the  artist's  house,  and  tell 
him  of  her  wish  to  be  truer  and  better.  Such 
thoughts  were  not  pleasing  company,  to  say  the 
least,  and  he  strove  to  dispel  them  with  ambitious 
plans  and  pleas  of  expediency.  Yet  the  leaven  was 
hid  in  the  measure  of  meal,  and  Merodach  would 
never  again  be  just  as  he  was  before  he  met  her. 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  263 

Thus,  with  Hadad's  narrative  of  the  captain,  and 
this  presentment  of  the  man,  we  have,  in  a  measure, 
knowledge  of  Merodach  when  he  called  for  volun- 
teers for  the  search  for  the  land  of  tin. 

Several  weeks  had  elapsed  since  their  vessel 
sailed  from  Gadir,  and  the  daring  adventurers  were 
in  the  last  stages  of  exhaustion,  on  account  of  the 
storms  which  had  driven  them  far  to  the  west  from 
the  Bay  of  Biscay.  So  far  they  had  suffered  noth- 
ing beyond  the  privations  and  dangers  peculiar 
to  a  seafaring  life.  There  had  been  contrary  winds 
and  fierce  storms  in  plenty,  but  they  were  familiar 
with  the  tempestuous  mistrals  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  many  had  been  shipwrecked  on  the  rocky  head- 
lands of  Greece.  But  they  had  not  seen  the  malig- 
nant spirits  which  were  believed  to  haunt  these  un- 
harvested  waters,  nor  had  they  been  swept  over 
the  end  of  the  earth. 

Yet  this  past  week  had  destroyed  the  careless 
cheerfulness  arising  from  dangers  past.  For  six 
days  and  six  nights  they  had  fled  before  the  storm ; 
their  mast  and  sails  were  gone,  oars  had  been 
broken  by  buffeting  waves,  and  they  were  lost  on  a 
shoreless  sea.  Many  had  come  to  fear  that  the  gods 
were  against  them,  that  at  last  they  were  in  the 
grip  of  a  merciless  fate;  and  Chna  had  warned  his 


264  A  Captain  of  Men 

chief  of  the  probability  of  a  mutiny.  Worse  still, 
Chna  himself,  while  true  to  Merodach,  had  begun 
to  take  dark  views  of  the  outcome  of  the  expedi- 
tion. Their  supply  of  fresh  water  and  provisions 
was  running  low,  they  were  already  on  half-allow- 
ance, and  starvation  must  inevitably  bring  trouble. 

This  was  not  news  to  Merodach,  for  he  had  con- 
sidered the  problem  that  very  morning;  and  he  had 
calculated  that,  even  with  the  most  favouring  winds 
and  seas,  they  would  be  entirely  out  of  food  and 
drink  before  they  could  retrace  their  course  to 
land. 

He  listened  patiently  to  his  lieutenant's  report, 
made  while  they  two  stood  clinging  to  the  bulwark 
in  the  stern.  "  You  have  spoken  nothing  but  the 
truth,"  he  quietly  admitted.  "  We  must  fight  hun- 
ger and  thirst  as  well  as  storm.  But  is  it  really  true, 
old  friend,  that  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  fight 
among  ourselves  ?  " 

"  The  men  have  discovered  that  the  food  cannot 
last,  that  it  will  all  be  gone  in  three  days;  they  are 
beginning  to  curse  you.  Twice  this  morning  they 
have  thrown  down  their  oars  and  sworn  that  it 
is  better  to  die  comfortably  than  to  starve  slowly. 
First  they  wish  to  kill  you;  then  fill  themselves 
with  the  wine  now  left,  and  scuttle  the  ship  —  and 
all  drown  together." 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  265 

The  quiet  of  Chna's  manner,  and  the  total  absence 
of  his  usual  profanity,  told  more  than  his  words.  It 
appeared  that  he,  too,  felt  the  uselessness  of  further 
labour,  that  he  considered  their  plight  hopeless. 

"  Hunger  and  thirst  are  terrible  foes,"  said  the 
captain.  "  Our  army  was  met  by  both  on  its  march 
across  the  desert  to  Damascus.  The  bones  of  many 
are  now  bleaching  where  the  vultures  left  them. 
Many  gave  up,  like  cowards;  they  emptied  the 
wine-skins,  and  died  like  drunken  fools.  But  we 
who  endured,  lived  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  your 
king.  If  all  the  rest  fail  us,  if  they  try  to  kill  me, 
what  will  you  do,  Chna?  " 

"  I'll  slay  the  first  that  come,  and  die  fighting 
for  my  captain,"  said  the  veteran,  doggedly.  "  The 
waves  are  going  down,  the  wind  is  changing,  but 
it  is  even  as  I  feared :  the  cowards  have  thrown 
down  their  oars ;  they  will  attack  you  here.  After- 
ward they  will  eat  and  die  with  full  bellies.  Yet 
before  I  am  sent  to  Muth,  I  would  ask  if  I  have  in 
any  way  come  short  of  my  duty,  —  for  I  have 
loved  thee  from  the  day  I  first  saw  thee  naked  and 
smiling  from  the  sea." 

"  You  have  not,  old  friend,  nor  will  you  now. 
They  are  more  than  a  score  to  one,  but  we  shall 
win;  if  they  listen,  we  must  win.  You  know  the 
course  of  our  journey  from  the  sea  to  the  temple 


266  A  Captain  of  Men 

of  Melkarth  on  the  mountain.  You  heard  the 
natives  say  that  the  tin  was  brought  across  a  nar- 
row channel  to  them.  We  have  sailed  northward 
from  Gadir  till  now;  it  must  be  that  there  is  a 

4 

route  by  water  to  that  land,  and  you  and  I  will  find 
the  way  —  if  need  be,  alone." 

Then  further  speech  between  them  was  prevented 
by  the  presence  of  the  mutineers.  They  had  for- 
saken their  benches  at  the  oars,  and  were  gathered 
with  drawn  knives  to  end  the  voyage,  and,  as  Chna 
had  said,  to  die  comfortably. 

Merodach  unclasped  his  belt,  and  laid  it  with  his 
sword  upon  the  deck.  Then,  unarmed  and  alone, 
he  placed  himself  in  their  very  midst.  But  Chna 
fitted  an  arrow  to  a  bow,  braced  himself  against 
the  bulwarks,  and  besought  the  gods  to  help  him 
to  shoot  true  when  the  time  came. 

"  Why  have  you  quitted  your  oars  ?  "  asked  their 
captain.  "  And  why  have  you  drawn  your  knives  ?  " 

"  It  is  useless  to  row,"  replied  one.  "  It  is  true 
that  our  course  has  been  changed,  that  we  are  re- 
turning toward  the  east;  but  before  we  can  get  to 
land  we  must  starve.  We  all  know  that  you  will 
never  agree  to  our  desires;  we  know  that  you 
never  give  up  your  purpose.  Therefore,  we  must 
kill  you ;  then  we  will  eat  our  fill,  and  die  before  we 
starve  and  suffer  the  pangs  of  thirst." 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  267 

"  You  speak  truly ;  I  will  not  cease  trying  until 
we  reach  the  land  of  tin,  or  till  death  prevent  me. 
Nor  will  I  lift  my  hand  against  you  who  have  been 
my  true  and  faithful  comrades.  If  you  bind  me, 
I  shall  in  some  way  loose  my  bonds  and  bring  you 
back  to  my  project.  Only  my  death  can  prevent 
the  accomplishment  of  my  purpose.  Therefore, 
you  must  kill  me  now,  my  friend.  I  am  unarmed, 
and  in  your  power.  Put  up  your  bow,  Chna;  I 
command  you  not  to  shoot." 

"  The  first  one  that  touches  so  much  as  your 
garment  dies  in  his  tracks,"  declared  Chna,  rais- 
ing his  bow. 

"  Break  your  bow  across  your  knee,"  commanded 
Merodach.  But  the  veteran  swore  with  many 
oaths  that  he  would  not.  "  Am  I  to  be  disobeyed 
by  you,  Chna?  "  was  the  quiet  response. 

"  Just  this  one  arrow,  O  master !  Let  me  shoot 
but  once,  and  they  may  cut  my  flesh  in  pieces,"  wept 
Chna.  "  'Tis  but  one  little  arrow ;  let  me  bury 
it  in  one  of  the  cowards  before  Muth  calls  me  ?  Oh, 
that  Hadad  were  here!  We  three  could  conquer 
them  all." 

"  No,  Chna ;   you  must  break  your  bow." 

Weeping  bitterly,  Chna  did  as  he  was  bade,  then 
tried  to  throw  himself  against  the  foremost,  but 
his  captain  prevented  him  by  saying: 


268  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  Not  so,  Chna ;  it  is  fitting  that  they  kill  me 
first." 

"  We  love  thee,  my  lord,"  said  the  spokesman  of 
the  mutineers.  "  We  have  not  forgotten  that  thou 
hast  been  a  father  to  us.  We  do  not  desert  thee; 
we  will  all  die  with  thee.  And  it  is  only  because 
thy  death  is  necessary  to  prevent  suffering  to  thee 
and  us;  because  we  love  thee,  thou  must  lead  us 
to  Muth." 

"Then  we  are  wasting  time;  there  is  no  need 
for  further  words.  It  is  childish  for  us  to  talk." 

Twice  the  sailor  raised  his  knife  to  strike,  and 
twice  he  lowered  it,  unstained  by  his  commander's 
blood. 

"  By  all  the  gods !  I  cannot  strike !  "  he  cried, 
throwing  his  knife  into  the  sea.  "  You  saved  my 
life  twice  in  the  mountains.  I  will  starve  —  my 
lips  may  crack  of  thirst  before  I  harm  you ! " 

"  Then  place  yourself  there,  by  the  side  of  Chna," 
said  his  captain.  "  After  I  am  dead,  you  may  die 
with  him,  my  friend." 

The  repentant  sailor  threw  himself  at  the  As- 
syrian's feet,  and  a  great  shout  rose  from  every 
throat.  "  O  my  lord !  "  they  cried  as  one,  —  "  we 
are  all  thine !  We  will  never  forsake  thee ;  we  will 
follow  thee  to  the  end." 

At  which  Chna  lost  himself,  and  danced  about 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  269 

the  heaving  deck  like  a  madman.  Slapping  this 
one  on  the  back,  embracing  that  one,  laughing, 
weeping,  and  laughing  again,  he  acted  as  he  had 
never  done  before.  But  Merodach  was  exceedingly 
quiet,  and  his  face  was  like  a  benediction. 

"  I  knew  that  you  were  my  children,"  he  finally 
said,  raising  the  prostrate  one,  and  kissing  him 
on  either  cheek.  "  Nothing  can  stop  us  now. 
Back  to  your  oars.  The  storm  is  spent.  The  sun 
breaks  through  the  clouds.  Pull  for  your  lives.  It 
is  our  turn,  Chna,  to  row ;  I  will  take  this  oar,  and 
you  shall  take  that." 

"  O  my  lord  —  my  lord !  our  hearts  are  thy 
playthings,"  cried  Chna.  "  But  by  Melkarth ! 
thou  shalt  not  touch  an  oar.  Back,  men !  we'll  show 
our  captain  that  men  of  Arvad  are  as  bunglers 
beside  us." 

Cheerfulness  succeeded  despair;  all  was  bustle 
and  laughter  on  board  the  ship.  Merodach  took 
the  oar  at  the  stern,  and  directed  their  course  to  the 
north  and  east,  while  the  vessel  leaped  under  the 
throbbing  oars. 

Ten  days  later  the  last  ounce  of  energy  remaining 
to  that  lean  and  famished  crew  was  exhausted  in 
driving  their  ship  prow-first  upon  the  sands  of 
one  of  the  Scilly  isles.  They  felt  the  shock  of 
their  keel  against  the  land,  and  their  oars  dropped 


270  A  Captain  of  Men 

from  their  nerveless  hands  as  their  captain  leapt 
ashore.  The  long,  long  voyage  was  practically 
ended;  they  were  to  be  done  with  suffering,  but  at 
that  moment  they  were  as  dead  men  from  ex- 
haustion and  hunger  and  thirst. 

Yet  when  they  saw  Merodach  slip  and  fall,  strik- 
ing his  face  against  a  stone,  when  they  beheld 
their  commander  motionless  on  the  beach,  they 
forgot  themselves,  and  were  soon  grouped  about 
Chna  where  he  sat,  holding  his  captain's  head 
against  his  breast. 

There  was  a  stream  near  by;  some  one  ran  and 
got  water,  and  Chna  bathed  the  Assyrian's  tem- 
ples, and  the  bruise  just  above  his  eyes.  Another 
brought  wine  from  the  ship  —  the  last  that  was 
left  —  and  mixed  it  with  water,  and  dripped  it  into 
his  mouth.  The  cooling  liquid  refreshed  the 
parched  flesh,  and  Merodach  showed  signs  of  re- 
turning life.  One  of  the  men  had  run  farther  inland 
and  found  some  huts  and  people.  He  had  also 
succeeded  in  getting  a  little  bread,  and  brought  it 
—  untasted  —  to  Chna,  to  be  soaked  in  wine  and  fed 
to  their  captain.  The  ringleader  of  the  mutiny  had 
done  nothing  but  chafe  his  commander's  limbs. 
Not  a  word  had  passed  his  lips,  but  the  repentant 
tears  had  not  ceased  to  wet  his  weather-beaten 
cheeks. 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  271 

On  a  sudden  the  Assyrian  spoke.  "  I  have  eaten 
and  I  have  drunk ;  it  is  time  to  seek  our  rest.  Night 
has  come.  Have  all  the  men  had  drink  and  food, 
Chna?  You  will  find  a  wine-skin  fairly  full  in  the 
stores.  I  saved  it  for  them.  Get  it,  and  give  them 
what  is  left.  I  never  saw  a  darker  night ;  have  some 
one  build  a  fire." 

Chna  was  sorely  perplexed.  He  gazed  upward 
at  the  noonday  sky.  "  My  lord  the  captain,"  he 
said;  "the  day  is  only  half  gone;  the  men  have 
neither  eaten  nor  had  anything  to  drink  since  you 
were  hurt.  But  there  are  people  here,  and  I  will 
command  them  to  get  food  and  bring  water." 

This  he  immediately  did,  sending  all  the  men 
away  till  he  and  Merodach  were  left  alone.  "  Tell 
me,  O  my  lord ! "  he  then  hoarsely  whispered ; 
"  can  you  understand  what  I  say  ?  " 

"  I  can  hear  quite  well,"  replied  his  captain, 
breathing  heavily. 

"  Look  up,  my  lord,  for  it  is  now  the  hour  of 
noon.  The  sun  is  overhead,  but  clouded.  Look 
up,  and  tell  me  that  you  see  the  day  ?  " 

A  great  shudder  passed  through  the  dauntless 
chief.  "  It  is  true,  Chna ;  the  sun  still  shines  over- 
head." Raising  himself  slowly  to  his  feet,  he  stood 
erect,  his  face  toward  the  sky.  "  Surely  it  is  day 


272  A  Captain  of  Men 

up  there,"  he  continued;  "but  it  is  altogether 
night,  for  me." 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  not  so ! "  cried  Chna,  trying  to 
control  his  grief.  "  Surely  you  are  mistaken.  See, 
now ;  I  am  just  before  you,  —  you  cannot  fail  to  see 
your  slave  —  your  dog!  Your  eyes  are  now  full 
upon  me,  —  you  smile !  By  Esmun !  you  see  — 
you  see ! "  His  captain's  eyes  were  wide  open,  his 
fears  were  only  a  dream. 

Merodach  swept  his  hand  across  his  eyes  two  or 
three  times,  but  everything  was  darkness.  He 
remembered  how  his  sight  had  failed  him  once 
before,  when  he  had  met  Tanith  among  the  Tyrian 
palms.  Perchance  now  it  would  be  as  then,  and  his 
sight  would  return  suddenly,  as  it  failed.  But  the 
blow  on  his  face  had  added  to  the  fault  of  his 
optical  nerves;  the  darkness  did  not  pass  away, 
and  he  began  to  believe  that  he  had  indeed  gone 
blind. 

It  was  long  before  he  spoke.  His  eyes  had  not 
left  Chna's  face,  and  the  old  man  had  not  moved 
from  where  he  stood.  If  his  captain  could  not  see 
him  now,  then  the  worst  must  be  true. 

"  I  can  tell  by  your  voice  that  you  are  quite  near 
me,  Chna;  but  I  cannot  see  you.  Yet  you  must 
not  weep  and  mourn.  If  it  is  true  —  it  is  true.  Yet 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  273 

I  would  that  the  gods  had  waited  till  I  had  seen 
the  end  of  our  quest." 

"  Look  yet  once  again,  my  lord.  See !  I  am  here, 
my  face  is  scarcely  a  hand's  breadth  from  your  own. 
By  the  seven  gods !  you  must  —  you  do  see !  " 

It  were  pitiful  to  witness  the  old  man's  yearn- 
ing, to  hear  the  pathos  of  his  voice.  But  his  cap- 
tain shook  his  head.  "  I  can  see  nothing.  Take  my 
hand  and  lead  me  to  one  of  the  huts;  it  is  not 
likely  that  we  shall  be  denied  shelter.  I  feel  mois- 
ture on  my  face,  —  it  is  like  to  rain." 

Chna's  grief  was  too  great  for  cursing,  for 
speech.  He  led  Merodach  carefully  up  the  gentle 
rise,  from  the  sands  to  the  grassy  sward,  and 
into  a  hut.  An  old  woman  rose  from  a  stool,  startled 
by  their  sudden  entrance.  She  could  not  understand 
his  words,  but  Chna  somehow  contrived  to  make 
her  comprehend  that  they  needed  shelter,  that  his 
companion  was  blind.  A  torrent  of  exclamations 
poured  from  her  lips.  A  man,  wearing  a  long, 
black  cloak,  and  carrying  a  staff,  entered  the  hut, 
and  stared  sullenly  and  curiously  at  the  intruders. 
The  woman  began  to  talk  to  him;  Chna  felt  that 
there  was  pity  in  her  face.  The  man  nodded  his 
head,  and  gazed  again  at  the  strangers,  but  with 
a  softer  expression. 

He  went  to  a  corner  of  the  room,  gathered  a  few 


274  A  Captain  of  Men 

skins  into  a  pile,  and,  pointing  to  them,  he  made  it 
very  plain  that  they  might  be  used.  Chna  led  Mero- 
dach  to  the  couch,  took  the  food  they  then  gave 
him,  and  gave  some  of  it  to  his  captain, 

"  Eat,  Chna,"  said  the  latter,  and  they  both 
made  a  hearty  meal.  Soon  they  heard  angry  shouts. 
It  was  raining  hard,  the  men  had  been  driven  to 
the  refuge  of  the  ship,  and  had  discovered  their 
absence.  They  immediately  suspected  treachery, 
but  Chna  appeared  at  the  door,  and  called  to  them. 
The  entire  company  came  from  the  beach,  eating  as 
they  ran.  They  had  been  quite  successful  in  their 
search  for  food,  so,  when  they  were  assured  of  their 
captain's  safety,  they  took  Chna's  advice  and  ob- 
tained shelter  under  a  grove  of  trees,  in  sight  of  the 
hut.  When  the  veteran  turned  back  from  the  door, 
he  found  Merodach  sound  asleep  on  the  skins. 

Three  days  went  by,  providing  rest  and  refresh- 
ment for  the  storm-worn  sailors.  The  natives 
proved  to  be  a  gentle,  hospitable  folk,  and  they  and 
the  Phoenicians  derived  much  entertainment  in  the 
attempt  to  make  each  other  understood.  Mero- 
dach had  kept  himself  all  this  time  absolutely  alone 
in  the  hut.  Chna  had  offered  its  owners  gold,  and 
they  had  gladly  vacated  it  for  that  of  a  relative; 
since  then  the  old  man  had  waited  upon  his  captain 
at  meal-times,  and  had  slept  outside  before  the 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  275 

door  —  in  his  cloak  —  like  a  lean  and  faithful  old 
mastiff.  Too  loyal  to  resent  his  commander's 
silence,  he  had  mourned  in  secret  the  lack  of  his 
confidence.  But  Merodach  preserved  complete 
silence. 

Therefore  it  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the 
old  man's  emotions  when,  on  the  morning  of  the 
fourth  day,  his  captain  groped  his  way  to  meet  him 
at  the  door. 

"  Are  you  still  there,  Chna  ?  I  have  been  lacking 
in  courtesy  to  a  true  friend,"  he  gently  said.  "  I 
crave  your  pardon." 

Chna  choked,  and  answered  nothing.  He  could 
not  have  spoken  for  all  the  world. 

"  Are  you  offended,  Chna  ?  " 

"O  Merodach  —  O  Merodach!  O  my  lord!" 
sobbed  Chna.  "  I  am  thy  dog  —  to  slay,  or  do  thy 
bidding.  Is  it  still  night  with  thee  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  night.  Now  tell  me,  are  the  men  well 
cared  for?  I  have  been  forgetful,  quite  negligent. 
Call  them  to  me  so  that  I  may  speak  to  them." 

Chna  sent  a  loud  shout  down  to  the  sea,  and  the 
company  hastily  assembled  before  the  hut,  and 
stood  with  bared  heads  in  breathless  silence;  for 
all  knew  of  their  captain's  affliction. 

The  Assyrian  turned  his  sightless  eyes  as  if  to 
view  them,  one  by  one. 


276  A   Captain  of  Men 

"  Asshur  has  brought  blindness  to  me,  and  I 
cannot  see.  I  will  call  you  by  name,  man  by  man, 
and  you  will  answer  me  as  I  call.  It  will  be  as 
though  I  saw  you,  for  as  you  reply  your  faces  will 
be  plain  in  my  memory.  I  have  not  forgotten  the 
appearance  of  one  of  you  who  have  fought  and 
sailed  and  starved  by  my  side.  Thus  I  shall  begin 
by  calling,  Chna." 

"  Here,  my  lord  the  captain." 

So  Merodach  called  the  roll;  and  those  great, 
pagan  heroes  answered  one  by  one,  and  wept  softly, 
that  they  might  not  grieve  him  with  their  sor- 
row. 

"  Not  one  missing.     To  quarters !  " 

The  men  sprang  like  one,  as  if  they  were  on  board 
the  ship.  They  were  drilled  as  if  they  were  on 
the  ship,  and  they  were  manoeuvred  as  soldiers  on 
land;  they  repelled  the  attack,  they  assaulted  in 
turn;  they  were  thrown  out  as  skirmishers  or 
closed  in  mass,  darting  and  wheeling,  advancing  and 
retreating.  The  natives  were  astonished  and 
terrified  by  the  celerity  of  their  movements,  the 
fierceness  of  their  aspect;  they  were  the  most  per- 
fect fighting  machine  in  the  whole  world. 

And  their  commander's  face  was  as  the  sun  for 
brightness.  In  fancy  he  could  see  the  advance  and 
rally,  the  recoil  and  spring.  "  You  have  given  me 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  277 

sight,"  he  cried.  "  Clean  your  arms,  and  see  to 
the  ship.  We  will  soon  take  up  the  voyage." 

Dismissing  them,  he  reentered  the  hut,  sat  down 
on  the  bed  of  skins,  and  began  idly  to  finger  a 
stone  —  or  was  it  a  piece  of  metal  ?  —  he  had  found 
on  the  floor.  No,  —  surely  it  was  not  a  stone.  He 
put  it  in  his  mouth  and  bit  it.  Then  he  tried  to 
break  it  with  his  fingers.  He  heard  a  peculiar 
creaking  sound,  and,  calling  to  Chna,  he  bade  him 
take  the  thing  and  bend  it. 

"  It  has  the  *  cry  of  tin,'  "  exclaimed  the  veteran. 
"  It  is  tin,  my  lord.  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  It  is 
surely  tin." 

Merodach  leaped  to  his  feet.  "  I  found  it  there," 
pointing  to  the  floor.  "  Take  it  quickly  to  the 
owner  of  the  hut.  Ask  him  where  it  came  from; 
ask  him  —  everything.  Hasten,  Chna !  " 

Chna  hurried  outside,  then,  catching  sight  of  the 
man  he  sought,  he  strolled  carelessly  to  him  and  be- 
gan to  make  signs  about  the  coming  of  rain.  But 
after  what  seemed  an  eternity  to  the  impatient  cap- 
tain, he  returned,  full  of  excitement. 

"  It  is  tin,"  he  began,  trying  to  speak  calmly. 
"  From  what  I  could  learn  from  that  ignorant 
barbarian,  there  is  a  little  of  it  here  in  these  islands. 
But  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  there  is  plenty 
to  be  had  not  many  miles  east  of  here.  May  flies 


278  A   Captain  of  Men 

consume  Baal-Zebub!  May  Ashtoreth  die  of  un- 
requited love!  May  the  fire  on  Melkarth's  altar 
die  for  want  of  fuel !  Curse  the  gods !  Oh,  that  you 
were  not  blind !  O  my  lord !  " 

"  Is  the  vessel  seaworthy,  Chna  ?  Are  the  men 
fully  rested  ?  " 

"  We  have  cleaned  the  ship.  It  is  staunch  and 
tight.  The  men  are  as  flame  on  dry  wood." 

"  Then  gather  together  all  the  gold  and  silver 
that  we  have.  Do  not  be  niggardly  in  rewarding 
the  people  for  their  hospitality.  Also  buy  what  pro- 
visions you  can,  and  make  ready  to  sail,  for  the 
gods  are  with  us." 

Chna  lost  no  time  in  getting  to  work.  But  no 
sooner  was  Merodach  alone  than  he  bowed  his 
head  to  the  wall,  and  gave  vent  to  his  restrained 
emotion.  Tears  gushed  from  his  eyes;  he  wept 
as  he  had  not  since  he  was  a  boy.  In  spite  of  his 
blindness,  there  was  yet  a  chance  of  success.  He 
should  not  see  the  land  of  tin,  —  but  he  would 
win  it. 

In  just  three  days  more  they  had  quitted  the 
friendly  island,  and  were  threading  their  way  to 
Cornwall,  the  goal  of  their  quest. 

Thus,  in  the  end,  Merodach  reached  the  land  he 
sought,  and  for  many  years  Tyre  was  given  com- 
plete monopoly  of  the  world's  supply  of  tin.  It 


In  the  Unknown  Sea  279 

may  be  that  the  tears  helped  to  clear  his  sight,  that 
they  soothed  his  eyes  and  hastened  the  cure.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  it  is  true  that  he  was  able  to  see 
dimly  the  land  of  his  desire;  and  it  was  not  many 
more  days  before  he  was  ready  to  believe  that  those 
hours  of  darkness  were  but  a  fearful  dream. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  narrative  there  is  little 
to  record  concerning  the  busy  period  which  fol- 
lowed their  landing.  Merodach  entered  into  cove- 
nant with  the  black-cloaked  natives.  He  made 
them  his  friends.  He  built  warehouses  and  wharves, 
and  enlarged  the  production  of  the  precious  metal. 
Eight  men,  gifted  to  acquire  strange  languages, 
were  selected  to  remain  after  the  ship  left  on  its 
homeward  voyage.  Every  arrangement  was  made 
to  complete  the  success  so  well  begun,  and  then, 
full  of  impatience  and  longing,  the  Assyrian  sailed 
back  to  Miriam. 

Those  three  days  that  he  had  spent  alone  in  the 
island  hut,  while  he  was  blind,  had  taught  him  some 
things  that  he  could  never  forget.  He  had  at  last 
learned  that  his  life  would  be  a  little  thing  without 
companionship  with  the  woman  whom  he  had  so 
easily  left.  He  had  now  full  knowledge  of  his  love 
for  the  Hebrew  slave. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE    GOLDEN     DISK 

REFERENCE  has  already  been  made  to  Hiram's 
efforts  to  prevent  his  subjects  from  compelling  him 
to  proclaim  The  Great  Feast  of  Expiation.  To  this 
end  he  used  the  yearly  offerings  from  his  cities  and 
colonies,  terming  them  special  sacrifices  to  the 
burning  god.  By  so  doing,  he  hoped  to  overwhelm 
the  demand  for  voluntary  offerings.  He  also 
incited  the  rich  to  more  lavish  donations  of  their 
slaves;  but  the  people  saw  through  the  plan,  and 
became  each  day  more  insistent. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  Tanith  announced 
her  willingness  to  add  her  best-loved  slave  to  the 
yearly  tribute.  But  the  king  kept  his  promise  to 
Merodach  by  warning  her  that  he  considered  him- 
self personally  responsible  for  Miriam's  welfare. 
He  assured  her  that  he  would  risk  sacrilege  by  tear- 
ing Miriam  from  the  altar  itself,  should  she  attempt 
to  make  the  "  special  vow  "  of  that  particular  slave ; 

280 


The  Golden   Disk  281 

Miriam  must  be  unharmed  till  the  return  of  Mero- 
dach. 

Tanith  felt,  rather  than  thought,  that  she  detected 
the  faintest  accent  on  the  word  "  till."  A  mocking 
smile  was  all  the  reply  that  she  then  made,  but  just 
before  leaving,  she  said : 

"  How  long  after  the  return  of  the  Assyrian  will 
my  lord  the  king  continue  his  tender  care  of  my 
choicest  slave  ?  " 

"  I  promised  until  his  return ;  I  will  keep  my 
promise  to  the  letter." 

"To  the  very  letter?"  mocked  Tanith. 

"  To  the  very  letter,"  responded  the  king. 

The  result  of  this  was  that  Tanith  detailed  the 
fastest  bireme  then  afloat  to  scout  continually  for 
news  of  the  expedition  to  the  tin  country.  She 
made  it  her  first  duty  to  secure  the  earliest  informa- 
tion of  the  man  she  still  loved. 

Up  to  the  last  minute  the  king  pursued  his  plan 
of  obstruction,  but  the  pressure  became  too  great, 
and  he  made  general  proclamation  for  the  Great 
Sacrifice,  in  what  is  now  termed  the  month  of 
July.  The  lamentations  usually  observed  in  that 
month  in  the  north,  by  the  banks  of  the  river 
Adonis,  were  ordered  to  be  transferred  to  Tyre, 
to  be  incorporated  with  the  sacrifice  to  Baal-Moloch. 
All  loyal  citizens  of  the  realm  were  called  upon  to 


282  A  Captain  of  Men 

seek  favour  of  the  angry  god  by  free-will  offerings 
of  their  children. 

Immediately  following  this  proclamation  came 
an  organized  demand  that  no  slaves,  nor  children 
of  slaves,  should  be  permitted  in  the  sacrifice. 
Delegations  of  stone-cutters  met  representatives 
of  the  dyers.  A  petition  was  drafted  and  presented 
to  the  king,  calling  his  attention  to  the  universal 
suffering.  It  was  useless,  it  said,  for  them  to  hope 
for  rain,  so  long  as  the  gods  were  deprived  of  their 
just  dues.  The  demand  was  emphasized  by  the 
dregs  and  offscourings  of  the  city,  and  there  were 
unmistakable  signs  of  coming  trouble. 

One  morning  placards  were  seen  on  the  front 
doors  of  many  dwellings  of  the  principal  merchants. 
And  Esmun  was  shocked  by  one  which  reminded 
him  that  some  still  remembered  what  he  had  done 
years  ago.  It  stated  in  so  many  words  that  his 
daughter  Tanith  was  alive  through  fraud,  and  ended 
by  warning  him  that  the  people  would  require 
him  to  appease  the  gods  by  righting  the  wrong. 
Tanith  belonged  to  Baal-Moloch ;  the  gift  had  been 
delayed,  but  only  delayed. 

The  lady  Tanith  had  herself  taken  down  the 
placard,  and  she  gave  it  to  him  as  a  spice  for  his 
morning  meal.  She  also  took  this  occasion  to  tell 
him  that  she  had  been  threatened  with  violence 


The  Golden   Disk  283 

more  than  once  of  late.  It  was  well  known  that  they 
owned  all  the  grain,  and  she  was  daily  expecting 
a  bread  riot. 

Her  father  gave  earnest  thought  to  the  subject. 
They  were  rich  enough  to  afford  the  loss  of  all  their 
grain,  and  it  might  be  the  wisest  course  to  donate 
it  to  the  people.  "  It  is  better  to  have  them  die  of 
overeating,  than  that  we  die  of  them  —  and  lose 
our  wealth  as  well,"  he  suggested.  He  had  no 
doubt  that  Merodach  would  return,  crowned  with 
success.  It  would  be  a  trifling  loss,  after  all,  and 
such  a  gift  would  place  them  in  the  light  of  public 
benefactors. 

"  It  is  too  late  for  us  to  go  backward,"  com- 
mented T'anith,  with  quiet  scorn.  "  There  are 
many  who  have  vowed  to  slay  us.  It  is  time  to 
eat  and  drink,  for  at  the  feast  we  die." 

At  this  place  their  conversation  was  interrupted 
by  the  entrance  of  Miriam.  Tanith  gazed  lovingly 
at  her.  "  Tell  my  lord  the  prince  what  you  heard," 
she  said,  as  if  she  referred  to  the  merest  trifle. 

"  Many  of  the  people  have  sworn  to  have  my 
lady  offered  in  the  approaching  sacrifice." 

"  When  did  you  hear  this?  "  asked  the  merchant, 
much  disturbed. 

"  Your  slave  Elissa  told  me.     She  has  a  lover 


284  A   Captain  of  Men 

among  the  dyers.  They  have  mixed  their  blood, 
and  sworn  an  oath  before  the  altar." 

Esmun  hastily  left  them,  and  went  to  see  the 
king.  Tanith  kissed  Miriam,  and  said :  "  I  did  not 
think  that  you  would  be  willing  to  warn  me.  But 
it  is  too  late  now,  for  the  oath  cannot  be  broken.  I 
must  surely  die.  Now,  Miriam,  what  shall  I  leave 
you  as  a  token  of  my  love?  " 

Miriam  had  been  trying  to  make  herself  believe 
that  she  had  lost  the  bitterness  that  she  once  felt 
toward  her  mistress.  She  told  herself  repeatedly 
that  Tanith  had  changed  and  become  her  friend. 
Yet  now  that  she  was  so  clearly  reminded  of  her 
sister's  death,  her  old  enmity  received  new  and 
stronger  life.  This  unwonted  graciousness  of  her 
mistress  was  a  lying  mask.  Tanith  was  as  she  had 
ever  been,  and  there  could  never  be  true  friendship 
between  them.  She  felt  a  sudden  necessity  to  speak 
out  boldly;  she  was  ashamed  of  her  former  deceit 
and  cowardice.  Courage  and  truth  were  required 
of  her;  in  no  other  way  could  she  prove  herself 
worthy  of  the  love  of  Merodach. 

Wherefore  she  met  Tanith's  cloying  regard  with 
clear-eyed  scorn,  and  replied : 

"  I  do  not  feel  the  need  of  a  remembrance  of  any 
kind,  my  lady  Tanith.  Nor  is  it  fitting  that  a  slave 


The  Golden   Disk  285 

should  wear  the  cast-off  finery  of  an  unloved  mis- 
tress." 

"  These  are  brave  words  from  you  to  me,  Miriam. 
None  of  my  slaves  has  received  so  much  kindness 
from  me  as  you  have.  I  have  shown  you  nothing 
but  kindness,  but  I  do  not  care  to  force  my  gifts 
upon  you.  It  may  be  that  you  are  making  a  serious 
mistake.  You  have  certainly  said  enough  at 
present.  So  you  may  go;  I  wish  to  be  alone." 

Miriam  departed  in  silence,  and  Tanith  sat  brood- 
ing over  the  probabilities  of  the  near  future.  The 
time  set  for  the  sacrifice  was  near  at  hand :  it  was 
certain  that  one  of  two  things  must  happen;  if 
Meredach  should  return  before  that  event,  he  could 
quell  the  worst  rioting,  and  she  would  have  a 
chance  of  life ;  if  he  did  not  get  back  in  time,  noth- 
ing could  save  her  from  a  horrible  death.  Her 
strong  spirit  did  not  seek  to  evade  the  thought  of 
danger;  she  weighed  her  chances  in  the  balance, 
and  she  was  convinced  that  her  only  escape  lay 
through  him.  Having  fully  settled  upon  this  con- 
viction, she  began  to  consider  what  should  be  done 
to  Miriam.  Two  full  years  had  passed  since  she 
had  determined  to  compensate  her  own  sufferings 
by  the  enjoyment  of  Miriam's  agony.  In  fancy  she 
had  watched  her  die  every  conceivable  death ;  Mir- 
iam was  a  continual  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  her 


286  A  Captain  of  Men 

hatred.  But  if  it  were  true  that  she  herself  must 
soon  be  removed  from  the  land  of  the  living,  it 
were  high  time  for  her  to  secure  the  accomplishment 
of  her  imaginings.  She  must  see  her  slave  drink  the 
cup  of  anguish  to  the  very  dregs.  There  must  be 
no  more  delay,  and,  most  important  of  all,  she 
must  devise  some  method  which  should  not  arouse 
the  suspicions  of  the  king. 

Hardly  had  she  selected  her  plan  before  she  was 
given  an  exceptional  opportunity  to  use  it.  As  the 
gods  should  have  it,  one  morning  Miriam  was 
assaulted  by  a  band  of  rioters,  because  she  belonged 
to  the  hated  house  of  Esmun.  One  of  them  struck 
her  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head;  she  fell,  and  was 
bruised  about  the  face  and  neck  by  the  feet  of  the 
mob.  At  this  juncture  she  was  rescued  by  Zagros, 
the  giant  Nubian,  and  carried  to  the  house.  To  all 
appearances  Miriam  was  dead  when  Tanith  first 
saw  her. 

Tanith's  rage  and  disappointment  well-nigh! 
overcame  her  power  of  dissimulation,  for  she  be- 
lieved that  she  had  been  deprived  of  her  dearest 
privilege.  After  all  her  waiting,  she  had  missed 
her  prey,  and  Miriam  had  been  granted  the  boon 
of  ordinary  death.  But  afterward,  when  she  de- 
tected signs  of  life  in  her  slave,  she  began  to  appre- 
ciate the  perfection  of  her  opportunity  of  vengeance. 


The  Golden   Disk  287 

Everybody  knew  that  this  was  her  best-loved 
slave ;  that  she  and  Miriam  had  grown  up  together. 
Now  Miriam  had  been  injured  in  her  service,  be- 
cause of  her,  and  it  was  her  duty  to  soothe  the  last 
hours  of  one  she  had  loved  so  well. 

The  whole  city  was  moved  by  Tanith's  conde- 
scension ;  such  patience,  such  tenderness  for  a  slave 
had  never  been  seen.  Tanith  tended  her  continu- 
ally; Tanith  was  never  absent  from  her  room; 
Tanith  prepared  with  her  own  hands  tempting 
luxuries  for  the  invalid,  and  the  most  noted 
physician  of  Egypt  —  fortunately  then  in  the  city 
—  was  called  to  assist-  the  recovery.  Yet  the 
Hebrew  maiden  drooped,  seemingly  unable  to 
rally  from  the  shock  of  her  injuries.  On  the  fourth 
day  they  composed  her  limbs  for  burial,  and  on 
the  day  following  Miriam  was  placed,  with  fitting 
rites,  in  the  private  tomb  already  built  for  the 
Esmun  family. 

The  prince  was  pleased,  as  well  as  surprised,  by 
Tanith's  grief.  He  hoped  that  her  sorrow  might 
appease  the  gods;  yet  he  did  not  neglect  to  pray 
for  the  Assyrian's  speedy  return,  for  he,  too,  felt 
that  their  sure  salvation  was  in  the  hands  of  Mero- 
dach.  He  attempted  to  inform  his  daughter  of  the 
comfort  she  had  given  him,  but  Tanith  was  enfolded 
by  one  of  her  sombre  spells,  and  he  left  her  to  sit 


288  A   Captain  of  Men 

motionless  and  brooding  while  he  paid  his  regular 
visit  to  the  king. 

Not  long  after  her  father  had  gone  Tanith  came 
out  of  her  reverie,  and  sent  for  Zagros.  Zagros 
was  hers,  body  and  soul;  he  would  pluck  out  his 
eyes  at  her  bidding,  he  would  die  for  her  pleasure. 

The  result  of  this  interview  was  that  they  two 
rifled  the  family  sepulchre  toward  midnight,  and 
Miriam  awoke  from  her  deathlike  stupor,  alone, 
and  in  absolute  darkness. 

For  a  good  many  minutes  she  lay  quiet,  feeling 
vaguely  that  it  was  night,  and  that  she  was  in  her 
bed.  The  effect  of  the  opiate  still  clung  to  her,  yet 
it  gradually  seemed  that  she  smelt  a  strange  damp- 
ness in  the  air.  Her  bed  was  also  hard,  and  she 
wondered  why  it  should  seem  so  different.  There 
were,  besides,  weird  rustlings  about  her  —  the  room 
was  filled  with  disturbing  sounds.  Neither  could 
she  understand  why  it  should  be  so  very  dark; 
hitherto  a  lamp  had  always  been  burning  in  her 
room.  Still,  that  did  not  matter,  for  she  need  to 
stir  ever  so  slightly  to  bring  her  mistress  to  her  side 
with  cooling  drink. 

It  was  quite  beyond  her  power  of  comprehension 
why  Tanith  should  be  so  kind  to  her,  —  after  — 
what?  She  could  not  recall  why  Tanith  should  be 
unkind,  but  she  was  sure  that  something  unpleasant 


The  Golden   Disk  289 

had  happened  between  them.  Yet  whatever  it  was, 
she  had  only  to  make  the  slightest  noise  and  Tanith 
would  come;  but  she  would  not  move.  She  hated 
Tanith;  she  did  not  wish  to  see  her;  the  tender- 
ness of  her  mistress  was  unbearable.  But  that 
constant  rustling  and  hidden  movement  was  exceed- 
ingly distressing.  There  was  something  quite  near 
her  face,  —  she  heard  it,  she  smelt  it.  A  fetid 
breath  fanned  her  cheek;  she  felt  something  chill 
and  slimy  trail  against  her  flesh.  A  cry  escaped 
her  lips,  and  she  sat  upright,  and  the  noise  of  scut- 
tling feet  filled  her  with  dread. 

Then  she  discovered  that  she  was  swathed  in  linen 
wrappings,  that  her  hands  and  arms  alone  were  free 
to  move.  Her  mind  had  commenced  to  clear,  and 
she  loosed  her  feet,  and  felt  from  side  to  side.  Her 
bed  was  gone;  she  could  feel  nothing  but  damp 
sand  and  a  slimy  wall.  Horrified  by  the  strange- 
ness of  her  plight,  she  yet  had  strength  to  rise  to 
her  feet,  to  walk  shrinkingly  about  the  place  she  was 
in.  Damp,  slimy  walls  met  her  touch  on  every 
side ;  she  was  confined  in  an  underground  cell,  —  or 
was  she  really  dead  —  in  the  Land  of  Nothingness  ? 

She  must  have  fainted  at  the  thought,  for  once 
she  felt  something  crawling,  and  she  found  herself 
prone  upon  the  floor.  A  time  of  madness  followed. 
Again  her  mind  cleared,  and  she  had  confused 


290  A  Captain  of  Men 

memories  of  wild  gropings,  of  frantic  rushes,  of 
falls,  of  shrieks.  She  was  much  bruised,  her  fin- 
gers were  torn  and  bleeding.  She  must  have  beat 
them  against  the  walls  —  as  she  had  dreamed. 
Dreamed?  —  no,  she  had  not  dreamed,  neither  was 
she  dead.  But  what  was  this  which  had  befallen 
her?  Where  was  she?  was  there  no  chance  of 
escape  ?  She  thought  of  Merodach ;  she  must  com- 
pose herself;  for  his  sake  she  must  be  strong. 
And  then  she  remembered  T'anith. 

Instantly  her  faculties  returned  to  her.  She 
recalled  her  defiance  of  her  mistress,  the  riot,  her 
confinement  to  her  bed.  Tanith  had  been  wonder- 
fully kind  to  her,  had  cared  for  her.  Then  a  sud- 
den flash  of  light  illumined  the  mystery.  She  had 
no  idea  where  she  was,  nor  how  she  had  been  placed 
there,  but  she  knew  that  Tanith  had  worked  her 
evil.  It  was  even  possible  that  Tanith  was  where 
she  could  listen  to  her  cries,  that  she  was  gloating 
over  her  terror. 

If  that  were  true,  then  she  was  altogether  lost, 
for  Tanith  never  relented.  The  courage  of  despair, 
joined  with  deepest  hate,  had  nerved  her  to  sit 
motionless,  till  the  darkness  was  succeeded  by  a 
sickly  twilight. 

Day  had  come,  and  some  scattered  shreds  of  light 
helped  her  to  increased  strength.  Those  horrid. 


The   Golden   Disk  291 

crawling,  rustling  things  were  gone.  She  was  in  a 
cavern,  that  was  plain  enough.  There  was  no  sign 
of  an  opening;  she  could  not  even  discover  where 
the  little  light  came  in.  She  could  only  wait  for 
the  next  development  of  the  mystery. 

Truly,  that  was  the  longest  day  in  her  life.  Time 
seemed  to  stand  still,  and  the  terrors  of  night  were 
increased  by  a  craving  for  change  of  any  sort. 
She  tired  of  the  little  light  she  had,  and  the  pangs  of 
hunger  and  thirst  enhanced  her  misery.  Doubt- 
less she  was  doomed  to  die  of  starvation.  She 
shuddered  at  the  prospect,  until  she  remembered 
that  Tanith  was  wont  to  derive  pleasure  from  the 
suffering  of  her  victims.  If  Tanith  had  brought  her 
there,  she  would  not  fail  to  give  herself  the  pleas- 
ure of  witnessing  the  effects  of  her  cruelty.  There 
was  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  she  would  see  her 
mistress  before  she  died.  Therefore,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  her  to  cultivate  strength  for  the  approach- 
ing ordeal.  If  she  must  die,  she  should  do  all  in 
her  power  to  lessen  her  rival's  triumph. 

Like  a  resistless  undercurrent  to  all  her  thoughts 
was  her  memory  of  Merodach.  At  times  she  dwelt 
upon  the  grief  he  would  feel  when  he  learnt  of  her 
disappearance.  But  oftener  she  mourned,  feeling 
that  he  was  above  the  loss  of  anything  save  the 
attainment  of  power.  She  was  hardly  an  incident 


292  A  Captain  of  Men 

in  his  ambitious  career;  he  might  mourn  for  her, 
but  in  the  end  would  he  not  marry  T'anith,  and,  with 
her,  rule  the  world?  Starvation  and  thirst  were 
trifles  compared  with  such  a  thought. 

Then  darkness  fell  again,  and  the  rustling  of 
loathsome  life  surprised  her.  Each  change  seemed 
to  add  to  the  keenness  of  her  suffering.  Sometimes 
she  thought  she  heard  the  sound  of  running  water, 
and  she  longed  to  cool  her  tongue  against  the  damp, 
foul-smelling  walls.  She*  was  sorry  that  her  body 
was  so  strong,  for  it  would  be  a  long  time  before 
she  might  escape  this  fierce  craving,  and  find  a  meas- 
ure of  relief  in  stupor. 

Yet  some  sleep  must  have  come  to  her  during  the 
night,  for  there  were  blanks  in  her  memory,  and 
twice  she  had  raised  herself  from  the  floor;  and  if 
she  had  not  slept,  how  else  could  she  have  missed 
the  entrance  of  a  visitor  ?  Some  one  had  been  near 
her  that  night,  for  she  saw  a  little  food  and  a  small 
jar  of  water  when  it  was  day.  She  had  almost 
emptied  the  vessel  before  she  told  herself  that  it 
might  be  all  that  she  could  hope  for  until  another 
day.  There  was  so  small  an  allowance  of  both  fpod 
and  water,  that  she  sat  for  many  minutes,  con- 
sidering the  wisdom  of  restraining  her  impulse  to 
consume  it  at  once.  There  was  only  enough  to 


The  Golden   Disk  293 

prolong  her  misery;  there  was  torture,  not  kind- 
ness, in  the  gift. 

Perhaps  the  worst  feature  of  this  second  day 
was  the  restraint  which  Miriam  laid  upon  herself; 
the  food  and  water  were  constantly  tempting  her, 
yet  she  withheld  herself  till  it  was  again  night. 
Then  she  took  all  there  was,  but  quietly,  and  with 
an  appearance  of  decorum.  Afterward  she  felt 
stronger,  and  she  began  to  hope  that  it  was  possible 
to  delay  her  death  till  her  lover's  return.  For  if 
Merodach  did  get  back  in  time,  and  cared  enough 
for  her  to  undertake  her  release,  he  would  surely 
save  her. 

Such  a  possibility  was  infinitely  comforting;  she 
fell  sound  asleep,  and  was  refreshed  by  unconscious- 
ness. When  she  awoke  she  thought  that  she  was 
dreaming,  that  her  cavern  was  softly  lighted  and 
smelt  sweetly  of  the  perfume  of  lilies.  So  she 
drowsily  closed  her  eyes,  thinking  that  she  might 
in  that  way  prolong  her  enjoyment.  By  and  by 
she  opened  her  eyes  just  a  little ;  the  light  was  really 
there.  Shutting  them,  she  tried  to  deceive  herself 
with  the  fancy  that  she  was  once  more  in  her  own 
room,  but  she  felt  the  sand  of  her  bed,  and,  turn- 
ing, she  beheld  that  which  made  her  further  sleep 
impossible.  The  light  and  fragrance  were  much 


294  A   Captain  of  Men 

too  real,  for  there  sat  Tanith,  motionless  and 
sombre,  almost  within  the  reach  of  her  arm. 

Miriam's  first  impulse  was  to  upbraid  her  mistress 
for  her  cruelty.  But  Tanith  would  enjoy  her  pas- 
sion, and  she  held  herself  quiet  until  she  attained 
perfect  self-control;  and  no  sooner  had  she  accom- 
plished this  mastery,  than  she  found,  for  the  mo- 
ment, release  from  fear.  Her  lips  were  no  longer 
sealed  by  the  consciousness  of  servitude.  Here,  in 
the  presence  of  death,  she  was  beyond  the  barriers 
of  common  life,  and  it  was  her  privilege  to  speak 
as  to  an  equal.  The  flower  of  liberty  blossomed  in 
her  mind,  and  its  fragrance  was  very  sweet.  Con- 
sequently, Tanith  was  astonished  by  the  voice  and 
manner  of  this  one  doomed  to  know  in  a  peculiar 
degree  the  bitterness  of  her  revenge. 

"  I  am  surprised  that  you  should  so  carefully  ar- 
ray your  beauty  to  visit  one  who  was  your  slave," 
began  Miriam.  "  Yet  that  is  not  so  strange  as  is 
the  presence  of  my  lady  Tanith  in  this  place  of  foul 
odours  and  fouler  reptiles." 

"  You  have  not  been  slow  to  discover  the  nature 
of  your  surroundings.  Yet  you  should  not  complain 
at  my  kindness  in  saving  you  from  the  worms  of 
the  grave." 

"  If  I  have  any  reason  to  thank  you,  I  wish  to 


The   Golden   Disk  295 

know  it.  It  has  not  been  easy  for  me  to  think  of 
your  kindness  —  of  late,  my  lady." 

"  Yet,  many  have  admired  my  '  solicitude '  for 
my  favourite  slave.  All  Tyre  is  speaking  of  my 
exceptional  kindness  while  you  were  dying.  Then 
all  declare  that  they  never  before  heard  of  a  common 
slave  being  buried  as  you  were  buried,  Miriam.  But 
I  loved  you  even  better  dead  than  I  loved  you 
living." 

"  Then  it  is  really  true  that  I  am  dead.  When 
I  unwrapped  the  linen  bands,  and  found  myself 
alone  in  this  cavern,  I  told  myself  that  I  was  cer- 
tainly dead.  But  after  I  had  eaten  of  your  bounty, 
I  changed  my  mind.  I  was  not  to  know  the  mercy 
of  death  —  easy  death  —  in  your  dealings  with 
me.  I  had  no  doubt  that  you  had  caused  me  to  be 
here,  but  I  am  ignorant  of  how  it  was  done.  Will 
it  not  add  to  my  punishment  when  you  make  every- 
thing plain  to  me?  Tell  me  of  my  death." 

"  You  died,  and  you  were  buried,"  exclaimed 
Tanith,  utterly  dumbfounded  by  Miriam's  calm- 
ness. She  had  dressed  herself  in  her  richest  gar- 
ments; she  was  there  to  feast  herself  with  the 
misery  of  a  broken,  despairing  victim.  Instead  of 
this,  she  was  met  by  quiet  scorn  and  galling  self- 
possession.  The  desired  end  was  still  to  be  won. 
She  must  strike  at  once,  and  with  all  her  power. 


296  A   Captain  of  Men 

Placing  her  hand  to  her  throat,  Tanith  lifted  the 
golden  disk  by  its  chain,  and  settled  it  carelessly 
upon  her  breast  —  but  so  that  it  must  be  seen. 

Miriam  did  not  at  first  understand  what  was  being 
done.  Tanith  was  alone  with  her,  and  a  quick 
spring  might  give  her  a  chance  for  freedom.  Tanith 
was,  indeed,  heavier  and  stronger  than  she,  but  a 
surprise  might  give  her  the  advantage.  At  the 
worst,  her  plan  would  contain  but  the  exchange 
of  torture  for  immediate  death.  Carefully  and 
stealthily  Miriam  gathered  herself  to  make  the 
attempt.  Tanith  did  not  suspect,  was  not  looking 
at  her.  The  water-jar  was  small,  but  quite  large 
enough  for  her  purpose.  Miriam  had  only  to  snatch 
it  up  as  she  leapt,  and  one  blow  with  it  would  pro- 
vide her  an  easy  victory.  It  was  her  one  sure 
opportunity  of  escape,  but  she  lost  it,  for,  just  as 
she  was  ready  to  spring,  Tanith  turned  full  toward 
her,  and  she  saw  the  disk,  —  her  present  to  Mero- 
dach,  the  pledge  of  her  love. 

He  must  have  given  it  to  her  rival,  and  doubt- 
less they  had  laughed  together  over  it  at  her 
infatuation.  He  was  false,  he  had  betrayed  her,  — 
and  her  last  chance  had  gone  for  escape,  as  Tanith, 
during  the  pause,  had  taken  a  knife  from  her  bosom 
and  laid  it  in  her  lap.  Miriam  was  stunned,  and  for 
the  time  powerless.  She  was  only  fortunate  in 


The  Golden   Disk  297 

having  Tanith  view  her  lethargy  as  being-  the  es- 
sence of  self-restraint.  For  not  a  word,  not  a 
movement,  rewarded  this  display,  and  Tanith  was 
compelled  to  speak. 

"  It  was  all  exceedingly  simple  and  beautiful. 
You  appeared  to  die,  and  you  were  buried  in  our 
family  vault,  and  I  and  Zagros  took  pity  on  you  and 
ravished  the  grave.  My  faithful  Zagros  has  died 
since  then,  and  I  am  the  only  living  soul  that  knows 
that  you  are  here.  To  the  rest  of  the  world  you  are 
dead,  quite  dead,  Miriam." 

The  utter  hopelessness  of  her  condition  left 
Miriam  the  one  thought  of  thwarting  Tanith  to  the 
end.  She  scourged  her  mind  to  work,  she  forced 
her  tongue  to  words.  "  Yet  you  must  be  careful 
in  making  your  visits  here.  There  are  prying  peo- 
ple in  Tyre;  there  is  always  the  danger  of  being 
followed.  It  would  require  a  very  little  spark  to 
light  the  hatred  already  against  you  to  a  consum- 
ing flame." 

Foiled  at  every  point,  Tanith  could  only  promise 
that  she  would  heed  the  warning.  She  would  also 
see  Miriam  often  in  her  loneliness,  and  none  should 
have  the  faintest  knowledge  of  it. 

'  You  spoke  truly,"  she  continued,  rising,  and 
pouring  a  powdery  dust  in  the  flame  of  her  lamp; 
"  the  odours  of  this  place  are  foul  and  sickening. 


A  Captain  of  Men 


I  will,  at  least,  relieve  you  of  them."  At  the  same 
time  she  held  a  cloth,  saturated  with  some  pungent 
liquid,  to  her  own  nostrils.  It  saved  her  from 
being  overcome  by  the  stupefying  vapour  which 
spread  through  the  cavern.  In  a  little  while  Miriam 
was  quite  unconscious,  and  Tanith,  staggering  from 
the  effects  of  the  drug,  hastened  through  the  secret 
entrance,  and  obtained  relief  in  the  fresh  air  outside. 

After  she  had  recovered  from  her  stupor,  Mir- 
iam drank  and  ate  a  little  of  the  water  and  food 
which  Tanith  had  brought  her.  Then,  exhausted 
by  her  recent  ordeal,  she  fell  into  natural  sleep,  and 
dreamed. 

It  seemed  that  she  was  before  the  God  of  her 
cousin  David.  She  was  being  doomed  to  unheard 
of  agony  because  she  had  slighted  the  religion  of 
her  kindred  for  the  love  of  Merodach.  It  was  also 
as  if  Jehovah  gibed  at  her  love,  and  reminded  her 
that  the  Assyrian  had  scorned  it.  Suddenly  her 
dream  changed:  she  beheld  Tanith  sitting  on  the 
throne  of  the  world  by  the  side  of  Merodach,  and 
the  golden  disk  flashed  on  her  breast,  brighter  than 
the  noonday  sun.  She  had  lost  both  her  lover  and 
her  God,  and  she  awoke,  screaming. 

Miriam  compelled  herself  to  sleep  during  part  of 
the  following  day,  in  the  hope  of  being  thus  enabled 
to  keep  awake  in  the  night.  If  she  could  see  Tan- 


The  Golden   Disk  299 

ith  enter  the  cavern,  she  might,  she  thought,  learn 
the  secret  of  escape.  But  Tanith  did  not  come 
that  night  at  all,  and  the  torture  of  wakefulness 
was  past  description.  It  must  have  been  that  Tan- 
ith had  some  way  of  seeing  her  prisoner,  that  she 
could  time  her  appearance,  for  sometime  during 
the  succeeding  day  Miriam  awoke,  and  once  more 
beheld  her  mistress,  watching  by  the  side  of  her 
lamp. 

"  Eat  and  drink,  Miriam,  for  I  have  wonderful 
news  to  tell  you.  Merodach  has  at  last  returned. 
He  is  the  greatest  hero  in  Sidonia.  He  has  dis- 
covered the  land  of  tin.  He  has  sailed  to  the  edge 
of  the  world;  he  only  was  brave  enough  to  dare 
its  perils,  —  and  he  has  come  back !  he  has  come 
back! 

"  Eat,  Miriam,  eat  and  drink  your  fill.  Here 
are  the  choicest  dainties  from  my  own  table;  here 
is  the  rarest  wine  from  Cyprus.  See!  I  have 
brought  it  that  you  might  join  me  in  a  thank- 
offering  to  the  gods.  For  my  love  has  at  last  re- 
turned, crowned  with  glory.  More  than  that:  for 
several  days  there  has  been  an  embassy  with  our 
king,  from  Assyria.  Asshur-ab-aram  has  been 
slain,  the  army  has  revolted,  and  Merodach  has 
been  proclaimed  King  of  Assyria.  Oh,  you  must 
eat,  Miriam,  you  cannot  help  rejoicing  with  me. 


300  A  Captain  of  Men 

You  are  the  only  one,  not  directly  interested,  who 
shall  so  soon  know  what  has  been  done.  For  the 
sake  of  the  past,  I  will  tell  you  that  Hiram  the 
king,  and  the  prince  my  father,  have  offered  an 
alliance  with  the  new  king,  —  and  I  am  to  be  Queen 
of  Assyria.  I  could  not  restrain  myself  from  ha- 
stening to  inform  you,  Miriam,  to  have  you  share 
my  happiness." 

Miriam  made  no  reply,  for  the  blessing  of  un- 
consciousness had  granted  her  a  few  moments  of 
peace;  and  when  she  returned  to  life  T'anith  was 
gone,  and  she  was  alone  with  her  misery. 

The  worst  had  come,  and  she  thought  that  she 
was  ready  to  die.  But  after  awhile  the  blood  of 
her  fathers  ran  swiftly  through  her  veins.  She  had 
been  deceived,  cajoled,  betrayed.  She  paced  her 
narrow  room  like  a  restless  animal;  she  longed  to 
be  free.  If  she  only  might  see  him  long  enough 
to  reproach  him  for  his  hypocrisy.  It  was  true  that 
she  had  never  felt  sure  of  his  love,  but  this  indecent, 
heartless  haste  was  more  than  she  could  bear.  She 
was  in  torment  of  anger,  jealousy,  and  despair. 
There  was  no  possible  escape  from  her  prison.  Only 
Tanith  knew  of  her  being  there,  and  Tanith  would 
never  tell. 

On  a  sudden  she  remembered  her  dream;  God 
had  spoken  to  her  while  she  slept.  Man  could  not 


The  Golden  Disk  301 

save  her,  but  the  power  of  Jehovah  was  infinite. 
He  had  saved  her  people,  he  had  brought  them  out 
of  the  house  of  bondage.  If  God  would  open  the 
door  of  her  prison,  if  he  would  grant  her  the  privi- 
lege of  seeing  Merodach,  she  would  vow  herself 
to  his  service. 

"  Give  me  this,  O  God  of  my  cousin  David ! 
give  me  liberty,  —  save  me  from  the  cruel  hands  of 
them  that  have  scorned  me  and  persecuted  me; 
give  me  vengeance  on  my  oppressors,  —  and  I  will 
return  to  thy  people.  Thou  shalt  be  my  God,  and  I 
will  serve  thee  all  the  days  of  my  life." 

The  calmness  of  exhaustion  followed  this  brief 
exaltation,  and  she  began  to  recall  the  comfort  she 
had  known  while  David  was  with  her.  She  found 
herself  repeating,  "  Yea,  though  I  walk  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no 
evil,  for  thou  art  with  me."  And  the  terrible  God 
of  her  dream  seemed  to  have  changed  to  the  loving 
shepherd,  and  the  terrors  of  her  prison  were 
lightened. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE   EYE   OF   ASHTORETH 

TANITH  spoke  the  truth  when  she  told  Miriam 
that  Merodach  was  back,  and  that  there  was  an 
embassy  in  Tyre  to  see  him.  It  was  true  that 
Asshur-ab-aram  had  been  slain,  and  Hiram  the  king 
and  her  father  were  quite  willing  to  form  an  alli- 
ance through  her  marriage  with  the  new  king.  But 
they  had  not  yet  approached  him  on  the  subject; 
Tanith  had  lied  when  she  made  Miriam  believe 
that  everything  was  arranged. 

Therefore,  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to  go  back- 
ward in  time,  so  as  to  meet  Merodach  as  he  landed 
from  his  wonderful  voyage.  A  vast  crowd  had 
gathered  near  the  wharf.  The  king  and  Tanith 
were  impatiently  waiting  in  Esmun's  private  office; 
but  the  merchant  himself  had  gone  out  in  his  barge 
to  meet  the  ship,  and  relieve  his  suspense. 

Now  he  was  seen,  exultant  'and  smiling,  with 
the  great  captain,  coming  from  the  vessel;  and 

302 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  303 

now  they  have  passed  through  the  shouting  multi- 
tude, and  the  four  were  soon  together  in  privacy. 

The  merchant's  hand  trembled  so  that  he  spilled 
the  wine  he  was  pouring.  He  choked  and  stut- 
tered when  he  invited  the  others  to  drink  an 
offering  to  the  gods,  and  to  the  commander  of  the 
expedition;  for  Esmun  knew  that  the  venture  had 
not  proved  a  failure.  They  poured  out  a  libation, 
and  drank  in  silence.  After  which  the  king  took 
the  chain  from  his  own  neck  and  gave  it  to  Mero- 
dach. 

"  Hiram  Abif  wrought  it;  it  is  priceless,  even  as 
thou  art,  Merodach.  Wear  it  till  I  may  more  fit- 
tingly show  my  admiration.  I  know  that  thou  hast 
not  failed,  but  art  thou  fully  satisfied  with  thy 
discovery?  " 

"  Fully,  my  lord  the  king.  The  ships  of  Tar- 
shish  will  have  no  difficulty  in  making  regular 
voyages  to  that  country.  I  left  eight  men  behind 
me  to  gather  the  metal,  and  to  make  complete  prep- 
arations for  the  colony  you  will  establish.  The 
long  and  perilous  journey  over  land  is  no  longer 
necessary;  you  own  a  path  for  your  ships  on  the 
sea.  Here  is  a  map  I  have  drawn  for  you.  Here 
is  the  harbour;  your  warehouses  should  be  built 
here,  and  you  will  be  the  king  of  merchants  —  as 
you  are  of  men.  Wherefore,  I  am  now  no  longer 


304  A  Captain  of  Men 

the  servant  of  the  king;  I  will  henceforth  serve 
only  myself." 

"We  will  talk  of  this  later,"  said  the  king, 
smiling  significantly  at  the  other  two.  "  But  to-day 
it  is  my  privilege  to  serve  you.  For  three  days  I 
have  enjoyed  the  society  of  five  of  your  countrymen. 
They  are  here  to  confer  with  you  on  matters  of  great 
importance.  They  have  also  brought  your  own 
favourite  charger  with  them,  your  battle-horse, 
Nergal.  See,  he  is  even  now  before  the  door,  wait- 
ing for  his  rider.  Mount  him,  Merodach,  and  ride 
straightway  to  your  friends  at  my  palace.  I  will 
remain  here  with  the  prince  and  my  lady  Tanith. 
My  palace  and  its  servants  are  at  your  pleasure, 
until  I  shall  use  it  as  your  host  to-night  at  supper." 

Merodach  looked  out  and  saw  Nergal  held  by  two 
or  three  slaves,  one  of  them  his  own.  He  whistled 
softly;  Nergal  started,  and  began  to  strike  rest- 
lessly with  his  fore  feet.  The  Assyrian  made  the 
faintest  chirrup  through  his  teeth;  the  horse 
reared,  shook  himself  free  of  the  slaves,  and  came 
to  his  master  in  the  warehouse.  It  was  a  beautiful 
sight  to  see  the  two  together;  the  horse  softly 
whinnying,  his  nose  against  his  master's  breast. 
Merodach  threw  his  arm  across  his  neck  and  spoke 
carelessly,  as  to  a  child.  When  he  turned  to  thank 
the  king,  his  eyes  were  moist,  his  voice  tremulous. 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  305 

"  It  is  two  years  since  we  parted,"  he  said,  softly. 
"  To-night  I  shall  be  able  to  thank  you,  O  Hiram, 
—  Nergal  is  my  dearest  friend.  But  now  I  will  take 
advantage  of  your  kindness;  I  will  see  my  country- 
men." 

Saying  which  Merodach  went  instantly  outside, 
followed  by  Nergal,  and  was  soon  speeding  toward 
the  palace. 

There  he  learned  of  the  army's  disastrous 
battle  with  the  Hittites.  It  had  reached  Assyria 
badly  demoralized.  Asshur-ab-aram  had  gone 
from  bad  to  worse;  he  had  striven  to  cover  his 
defeat  by  harshness  to  his  subjects.  Some  one  spoke 
of  Merodach-Pileser,  the  grandson  of  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  for  a  caravan  from  Tyre  had  brought  news 
that  he  was  alive,  was  in  Tyre.  The  army  had 
risen,  Asshur-ab-aram  was  slain,  and  five  of  As- 
syria's highest  nobles  were  come  to  offer  the  throne 
to  Merodach. 

Such,  in  brief,  was  the  message  to  which  he 
listened.  He  had  only  to  say  the  word,  and  he 
could  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  fathers.  Yet  he  was 
of  too  deep  a  nature  to  manifest  undue  surprise 
or  readiness  to  accept. 

"  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  greatness  of  this 
honour  which  you  have  shown  me,"  he  replied. 
;<  Yet,  while  you  were  speaking,  I  was  wondering 


306  A  Captain  of  Men 

how  it  came  that  two  should  be  here  who  have 
ever  been  truest  friends  to  Asshur-ab-aram.  Ye 
know  that  I  am  a  man  of  direct  speech.  I  am  not 
versed  in  the  ways  of  courts.  I  have  been  a  soldier 
from  my  youth  till  now.  Therefore,  I  ask  you 
plainly  to  state  if  there  are  conditions  attached 
to  my  acceptance  of  this  offer.  It  is  always  better 
to  have  a  clear  understanding  before  a  decision  is 
made." 

"  Far  be  it  from  us  to  limit  our  lord,"  exclaimed 
the  oldest  of  the  nobles,  once  prime  minister  to  the 
usurper.  "  Thou  art  the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne, 
and  we  are  the  most  insignificant  of  thy  servants. 
Yet  there  are  some  who  have  remembered  the 
daughter  of  Asshur-ab-aram.  She  is  young  and 
comely.  It  has  been  said  that  it  would  be  part  of 
the  wisdom  of  our  lord  Merodach  to  unite  the 
kingdom,  and  to  destroy  the  possibility  of  dissen- 
sion, by  making  her  his  queen.  But  surely  my  lord 
has  no  need  to  learn  of  the  babbling  of  the  foolish." 

No  sooner  had  he  heard  this  veiled  demand  — 
for  such  it  truly  was  —  than  Merodach  was  filled 
with  impatience  to  see  Miriam.  The  presence  of  the 
embassy,  and  the  unexpected  offer  of  the  kingdom, 
had,  for  the  moment,  caused  him  to  forget  her.  But 
this  project  of  marrying  him  to  one  whom  he  had 
never  seen  made  him  doubly  impatient  to  be  with  her. 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  307 

"  I  am  just  returned  from  a  long  and  perilous 
voyage,"  he  said,  curbing  himself.  "  The  King  of 
Sidonia  has  shown  you  kindness  for  my  sake.  I 
will  consider  your  words,  and  will  not  delay  my 
answer.  There  are  a  few  things  which  command 
my  attention.  I  am,  as  it  were,  compelled  to  ask  you 
to  remain  here  till  I  tell  you  yea  or  nay,  at  the 
noon  hour  to-morrow." 

"  It  shall  be  as  our  lord  desires,"  responded  the 
old  noble.  "  May  my  lord  live  for  ever." 

Thereupon  Merodach  ended  the  interview,  and 
went  to  Hiram  Abif  to  learn  whether  Miriam  was 
with  her  mistress,  in  the  island  residence,  or  in  her 
house  on  the  mainland. 

The  artist  was  in  his  working  garment,  in  his 
studio.  He  greeted  his  friend  with  curious  diffi- 
dence, answering  principally  in  monosyllables. 
The  Assyrian  noted  his  manner,  and  accepted  it  as 
proof  that  the  dwarf  was  possessed  of  his  evil 
spirits.  So,  after  a  few  words  of  greeting,  he  in- 
quired directly  as  to  where  Miriam  was. 

"  I  cannot  tell,"  replied  the  artist.  "  I  have  asked 
myself  the  same  question  many  times.  There  is  the 
litter  of  the  lady  Tanith,  coming  down  the  street; 
ask  her,  Merodach.  Yet  I  doubt  if  even  she  can  tell 
you." 

"  Has  Miriam  left  the  city?    You  act  and  speak 


308  A  Captain  of  Men 

strangely,  Hiram  Abif.  Has  anything  happened 
to  lessen  our  friendship  ?  " 

The  dwarf  placed  his  hands  on  the  other's  shoul- 
ders and  gazed  sadly  in  his  face.  "  I  have  missed 
you,  my  friend.  I  have  been  alone  and  lonesome 
while  you  were  away.  Yet  —  I  am  sorry  to  see 
you  here." 

"Sorry?" 

"  Yes,  quite  sorry.  My  friendship  is  stronger 
now  than  when  you  left,  —  but  I  am  exceedingly 
sorrowful.  See;  the  lady  Tanith  has  left  the 
square  —  go  to  her.  Ask  her  of  Miriam,  and  then 
return  to  me.  I  will  wait  here  till  you  come 
back." 

Something  must  be  wrong,  and  Merodach  did  not 
pause  until  he  was  with  Tanith  in  her  room.  She 
looked  earnestly  at  him,  then  ran  to  meet  him  with 
outstretched  arms. 

"  I  knew  that  you  would  come  —  here,"  she  cried. 
"  All  the  way  back  from  the  wharf  I  watched  to 
see  you.  Surely  it  is  he,  I  said,  over  and  over  again. 
But  there  was  none  like  you  there.  Now  you  are 
truly  come ! " 

She  was  softened,  transfigured  by  love.  Her  lips 
smiled  tremulously,  moisture  suffused  her  eyes; 
never  had  she  seemed  so  womanly.  She  had 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  309 

never  ceased  longing  for  his  return;  he  was  her 
god,  and  she  craved  his  touch. 

But  he  did  not  respond  to  her  tenderness.  Un- 
clasping her  hands  from  about  his  neck,  he  held  her 
wrists,  and  asked,  "  Where  is  Miriam  ?  " 

"She  is  dead." 

"How  did  she  die?" 

An  icy  chill  froze  Tanith's  blood,  yet  she  met  his 
gaze  unflinchingly.  "  The  city  has  been  troubled," 
she  replied.  "  There  have  been  mobs  crying  for 
bread.  We  own  most  of  the  grain;  we  are  hated, 
and  because  Miriam  was  my  servant,  the  rioters 
mistreated  her,  and  caused  her  death." 

"  And  you,  —  what  did  you  do?  " 

"  I  tended  her,  and  had  her  under  the  care  of  the 
most  cunning  physicians;  but  it  was  useless,  and 
we  buried  her  in  our  own  tomb." 

"  How  long  ago  ?  " 

"  Some  three  or  four  days,  my  lord  Merodach." 

"  It  is  long  —  too  long ;  but  to-night  we  will 
take  her  from  the  tomb." 

"  It  shall  be  as  my  lord  commands ;  my  slaves 
are  at  his  disposal.  At  what  hour  shall  it  be  done  ?  " 

Nothing  could  have  been  simpler  or  more 
straightforward  than  Tanith's  acceptance  of  what 
was  to  her  worse  than  death.  He  was  indeed  re- 
turned, but  he  was  completely  changed,  his  only 


3IO  A  Captain  of  Men 

thought  was  of  Miriam ;  her  dead  slave  was  dearer 
to  him  than  her  living  self.  There  was  but  one 
thing  left  for  her  to  do;  she  must  visit  Miriam  for 
the  last  time.  Afterward  she  must  be  with  him 
at  the  empty  tomb,  and  abide  by  the  consequences. 

"  Hear  me,  Merodach.  I  hated  my  slave  even 
before  I  knew  that  you  loved  her.  She  told  me  all 
while  you  were  gone.  She  babbled  of  her  good 
fortune  —  and  I  discovered  that  you  had  played 
with  my  love.  When  I  knew  all  the  truth,  I  vowed 
that  nothing  should  prevent  my  repayment  of  your 
deceit.  But  the  gods  have  taken  her  from  you  — 
she  is  dead  —  and  there  is  no  one  now  between  us. 
Look  at  me!  am  I  hard  of  feature,  unpleasant  to 
see?  I  am  young;  my  brain  is  not  weak;  I  am 
rich,  and  everything  I  have  is  yours,  my  lord  — 
my  love !  Since  the  day  I  first  called  you  before  me, 
I  have  thought  only  of  your  beauty,  your  strong 
will,  your  surpassing  manliness.  You  are  not  as 
other  men ;  I  have  seen  below  the  surface.  Wealth 
is  not  everything  that  you  wish,  —  you  would  hold 
the  world  in  your  grasp.  With  my  wealth  and 
my  cunning  united  to  your  power  and  skill  and 
perseverance,  it  will  be  yours  to  take.  Look  at  me, 
my  lord ;  am  I  not  fit  to  be  your  mate  ?  " 

"  Would  you  indeed  strengthen  my  hands, 
Tanith  ?  Should  I  bring  the  armies  of  Assyria  here, 


The   Eye  of  Ashtoreth  311 

would  you  forget  your  kindred?  Would  your  only 
thought  be  to  increase  the  power  of  Merodach, 
King  of  Assyria?  " 

"  I  swear  to  you  that  your  love  is  worth  more  to 
me  than  anything  else.  Make  me  your  queen,  and 
I  will  place  you  and  your  interests  first;  your  will 
shall  be  my  law.  Even  the  gods  shall  not  come 
between  us,  my  love,  you  shall  be  my  king  —  my 
only  god." 

Merodach  led  her  to  the  couch,  and  said: 

"  You  were  reclining  here  when  first  I  saw  this 
room.  Here  was  where  you  slew  Melkarth,  your 
panther.  I  saw  your  hand  caress  him,  and  I  saw  you 
slay  him.  And  here  is  where  I  sat  against  your 
knee,  and  beheld  your  knife  above  my  throat.  I 
have  lied  to  you,  Tanith,  I  have  deceived  you,  but 
now  I  am  speaking  the  absolute  truth.  I  have 
learned  that  you  are  never  so  deadly  as  when  you 
appear  the  sweetest.  I  cannot  trust  you.  It  may 
be  that  the  mob  caused  Miriam's  death,  it  may  be 
so;  yet,  again  I  ask,  —  how  did  Miriam  die?  " 

"  Of  the  mob.  To-morrow  will  be  the  Great 
Sacrifice,  and  they  are  crying  for  my  blood.  They 
killed  her,  and  they  will  kill  me.  For  months  I 
have  known  that  you  only  could  save  me  from  the 
fires  of  Moloch.  I  prayed  for  your  return.  Now 
you  are  here,  but  you  doubt  me.  It  may  be  true  that 


312  A   Captain  of  Men 

I  am  as  you  say;  yes,  I  did  intend  to  kill  you. 
But  many  months  have  passed  since  then,  and  you 
are  now  very  dear  to  me.  Hiram  the  king  is  your 
friend;  ask  him  how  Miriam  died.  Ask  Hiram 
Abif ;  you  will  believe  him.  Now  leave  me,  Mero- 
dach;  I  am  unworthy  so  long  as  you  doubt  me. 
Yet,  to-night  we  will  take  Miriam  from  the  tomb, 
—  if  it  will  please  you  to  name  the  hour." 

"  The  night  after  to-morrow  night  will  serve 
as  well.  I  cannot  yet  say  what  I  will  do  with  you, 
Tanith.  But  if  the  mob  can  be  quelled  to-morrow, 
I  will  quell  it.  And  if  the  mob  did  harm  Miriam, 
it  shall  repent  —  to-morrow.  Now  I  must  see 
Hiram  Abif.  Whatever  may  come,  I  promise  that 
you  shall  be  saved  to  see  me  again.  If  there  is 
anything  to  be  settled  between  us  two,  it  shall  be 
settled  by  us  two." 

So  soon  as  he  was  gone,  Tanith  started  to  put 
Miriam  for  ever  out  of  her  path.  But  she  changed 
her  mind  before  reaching  the  cabin.  Sudden  death 
was  too  sweet  a  blessing  for  one  she  so  hated. 
Merodach  might  indeed  open  the  tomb  and  find  it 
empty;  but  who  could  inform  him  of  the  cavern? 
The  secret  was  altogether  her  own,  and,  at  the 
worst,  she  could  make  this  last  visit,  then  leave 
Miriam  to  starve  slowly  to  death.  So,  as  has  been 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  313 

described,  she  told  Miriam  of  the  Assyrian's  re- 
turn, and  left  her  still  alive. 

It  was  rather  strange,  but  Hiram  Abif  did  not 
himself  fully  understand  why  he  had  sent  his  friend 
to  Tanith.  He  had  had  an  overpowering  impulse 
to  have  him  meet  her  before  he  knew  the  truth,  and 
the  dwarf  waited  in  a  strange  mixture  of  anxiety 
and  dread  to  hear  what  had  been  said  and  done. 
Yet  he  was  conscious  of  something  which  was  not 
surprise,  when  Merodach  returned  and  abruptly! 
declared  that  he  had  no  faith  in  Tanith's  innocence. 
Also  he  found  that  he  was  very  angry  with  Mero- 
dach. 

"  Tell  me  all  that  happened,"  he  requested.  "  I 
have  known  her  since  we  were  children  together. 
It  may  be  that  I  can  then  tell  you  if  she  spoke  truth 
or  falsehood." 

"  She  said  that  Miriam  is  dead." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  She  said  that  a  mob  had  injured  her." 

"  That  is  truth,  absolute  truth.    Is  that  all  ?  " 

"  She  claimed  to  have  once  hated  Miriam,  but 
that  she  tended  her  during  her  sickness.  Is  it 
true  that  they  buried  her  in  Esmun's  tomb?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,  Merodach ;  and  she  did  show 
wonderful  solicitude  for  her  slave.  It  is  also  true 


314  A   Captain  of  Men 

that  Tanith  has  changed  during  the  last  two  years. 
She  has  grown  daily  more  soft  and  womanly." 

"  Yet  to-day  she  told  me  that  she  had  hated 
Miriam  until  the  day  she  was  injured,"  returned 
Merodach,  darkly.  "  How  did  she  treat  Miriam 
during  these  last  two  years  ?  " 

"  She  must  have  said  more  than  that  to  you.  You 
have  been  a  long  time  with  her.  If  you  would 
have  me  help  you,  tell  me  everything  she  said." 

"  She  said  she  loved  me.  She  reminded  me  of  her 
youth,  of  her  great  wealth.  She  is  a  strange 
woman,  Hiram  Abif,  for  she  has  discovered  the 
secret  of  my  heart,  and  she  used  her  knowledge 
mightily." 

The  dwarf  laughed  long  and  impishly.  His 
strange  merriment  brought  tears  to  his  eyes,  and 
he  ran  about  the  room,  still  laughing.  He  jeered  at 
Merodach,  declaring  that  T'anith  had  loved  every 
man  in  Tyre. 

"  She  has  even  made  love  to  me  —  to  me !  Mero- 
dach. Behold  us  both  in  this  mirror;  you  are  of 
surpassing  comeliness,  and  I  am  in  every  respect 
your  opposite.  Yet  she  smiled  and  smiled  and 
smiled  on  me  while  you  were  away.  For  my  lady 
Tanith  is  the  embodiment  of  femininity,  and, 
despite  my  malformation,  I  am  still  a  man.  Has 
she  looked  upward  at  you  with  moist,  alluring  eyes  ? 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  315 

Have  you  seen  the  flutter  of  her  hands  toward 
you?  Or  have  you  gazed  upward  at  her  and  been 
melted  by  the  languor  of  her  downward  glance? 
By  Baal-Phegor  and  Ashtoreth!  the  scent  of  her 
unguent  of  lilies  still  perfumes  this  very  room.  She 
has  well-nigh  lived  here  since  you  left.  And  I, 
the  dwarf,  have  discarded  my  working  dress  for 
purple  and  fine  linen.  I  have  pomaded  my  hair  and 
painted  my  eyes.  I  have  dyed  my  nails  with  henna. 
I  have  learned  to  keep  my  back  turned  from  her 
—  to  hide  its  hump.  Thee,  I  am  cultivating  a  deli- 
cate lithp  to  tickle  her  earth,  —  for  she  loves  me, 
Merodach.  Oh!  Oh!  Oh!" 

His  laugh  was  like  the  grating  of  a  file,  exasper- 
ating beyond  the  other's  endurance.  "  Peace !  "  he 
sternly  commanded.  The  dwarf  ceased  his  jeering 
and  impish  laughter,  and  his  eyes  became  tender  and 
grave. 

"  Surely  it  is  not  I,  but  an  evil  spirit  speaking 
through  my  lips.  You  have  known  sorrow,  my 
friend,  your  face  is  marked  with  suffering,  —  and  I 
have  been  mocking  you.  The  instant  I  saw  you, 
I  knew  that  you  had  met  sorrow  as  well  as  success 
while  you  were  away.  What  has  happened  to 
you,  Merodach?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  you.     But  I  have  known  grief." 

"  I  have  not  acted  the  part  of  a  friend,   out- 


316  A  Captain  of  Men 

wardly.  I  crave  your  forgiveness.  Now  tell  me, 
what  will  you  give  me  if  I  see  Tanith  and  wring 
from  her  all  the  truth  ?  I  am  again  sinning  against 
friendship,  for  true  friendship  neither  barters  nor 
sells.  But  what  will  you  pay  me  for  the  truth, 
Merodach?" 

"  You  may  make  your  own  terms.  I  will  pay 
your  price  to  the  last  mina." 

"  Swear  that  you  will  pay  me  my  price,  that  you 
will  give  me  whatever  I  may  demand." 

"  I  swear  by  Asshur,  Shammus,  and  Vul,  that  I 
will  not  refuse  you  anything  that  you  may  ask,  if 
you  will  make  Tanith  reveal  the  truth,  and  then  tell 
it  to  me.'* 

"  Then  the  sooner  you  leave  me  the  better.  I 
have  a  feeling  that  she  will  come  here  sometime 
to-day,  and  I  must  not  lose  the  chance  of  meeting 
her.  There  are  times  when  she  is  wearied  by  the 
burden  of  her  lies,  and  she  is  wont  to  come  here 
and  relieve  herself  of  it.  Leave  me  quickly,  my 
friend,  for  the  demon  of  laughter  is  almost  stran- 
gling me.  Yet  tell  me  this :  did  she  make  you 
promise  to  protect  her  from  to-morrow's  mob  ?  " 

"  She  spoke  of  it,  and  I  promised." 

"  Go,  —  go  quickly,  Merodach,  —  I  shall  choke 
of  laughter.  Oh !  Oh !  Oh !  must  it  be  long  before 
I  see  you,  Tanith !  Surely  the  gods  love  your 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  317 

naughtiness.  Oh !  Oh !  Oh !  he  promised  —  and 
she  really  does  love  him.  He  is  beautiful,  he  is 
straight  and  comely,  —  but  had  I  his  legs  and 
back,  there  would  be  no  need  of  our  bargain." 

The  dark  spell  was  certainly  on  the  great  artist, 
for  more  than  an  hour  —  after  he  was  alone  — 
was  passed  in  alternating  fury  and  laughter.  He 
laughed  and  wept;  he  sought  out  and  destroyed 
drawings  and  gems  and  needlework,  beautified  by 
her  face.  He  cursed  his  friend,  he  raved  at  his 
own  deformity,  and  he  shrieked  with  laughter  at 
Tanith's  duplicity.  Then  he  recalled  the  picture 
of  Miriam,  dead,  and  covered  with  flowers.  She 
had  been  lovelier  then  than  during  her  life,  and  he 
wept  soft  tears  because  she  was  gone.  He  had 
loved  Miriam,  but  her  purity  had  awed  his  love. 
She  was  far  above  Tanith,  but  he  craved  the  latter. 
Yet  he  was  wishful  to  preserve  the  memory  of 
Miriam  for  his  better  moments,  and  he  felt  a  mourn- 
ful pleasure  in  recalling  her  pure  loveliness,  as  she 
had  lain  prepared  for  her  burial.  She  had  appeared 
to  be  asleep.  It  was  so  soon  after  her  death,  that 
there  was  still  a  flush  upon  her  cheeks.  He  had 
never  seen  death  so  beautiful.  Yes,  it  was  better  for 
her  in  the  Land  of  Nothingness,  for  it  was  true  that 
Tanith  hated  her. 

Then,  suddenly,  a  strange  suspicion  darted  into 


31 8  A  Captain  of  Men 

the  artist's  subtle  brain,  and  he  became  exceedingly 
impatient  to  see  Tanith.  He  began  to  think  ear- 
nestly, to  question  if  he  could  obtain  the  whole 
truth  from  her;  and  by  and  by  he  began  to  make 
certain  preparations  for  the  meeting,  for  he  was 
sure  that  she  would  come.  Nor  was  he  disap- 
pointed, for  when  it  was  dusk  she  rapped  at  his 
door,  and  he  led  her  to  a  seat. 

"  The  city  is  full  of  unrest,"  she  said,  languidly 
fanning  herself.  "  People  are  arriving  from  all 
over  the  world.  The  lower  streets  are  crowded 
and  turbulent.  To-morrow  will  be  a  terrible  day  in 
Tyre.  I  would  that  I  were  the  king;  I  would 
teach  them  a  lesson  they  would  never  forget." 

"  People  seldom  forget  your  teachings  —  nor 
you.  And  that  is  a  great  pity,  for  you  have  taught 
me  to  love  you,  and  I  know  you  too  well  to  hope 
for  mercy." 

"Do  you,  indeed,  love  me,  Hiram  Abif?  And 
how  should  your  knowledge  of  me  destroy  the 
possibility  of  hope?  Read  me  your  riddle,  for  the 
heat  has  made  me  dull." 

"  Yes,  Tanith ;  I  love  you.  I  have  loved  you 
since  we  played  as  children  together.  Will  you  be 
the  wife  of  Hiram,  the  dwarf  ?  " 

"  Most  women  would  consider  themselves  for- 
tunate as  the  wife  of  Hiram,  the  wonderful  artist." 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  319 

"  That  may  be  truth.  Would  you  so  deem  your- 
self, as  the  wife  of  the  dwarf?  " 

"  I  am  still  waiting  for  you  to  explain  the  mean- 
ing of  your  riddle." 

"  Suppose  then  that  I  was  gifted  with  the  per- 
fection of  beauty ;  suppose  that  I  was  straight,  — 
say  like  Merodach,  —  would  you  be  my  wife, 
Tanith?" 

"  It  is  hard  for  me  to  imagine  the  subtlety  of 
Hiram  Abif  combined  with  the  physical  beauty  of 
Merodach.  You  are  speaking  now  of  one  of  the 
gods,  of  Melkarth  himself.  It  would  be  better  to 
ask  me,  would  such  an  one  think  of  loving  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  think  about  your  question.  As  it  now 
stands,  I,  an  ugly  dwarf,  love  one  who  is  without 
doubt  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world.  Now 
may  it  not  be  so  that,  if  I  were  gifted  with  bodily 
graces,  I  might  love  a  woman  entirely  different 
from  you?  That  is  the  true  meaning  of  the  riddle, 
and  surely  it  is  a  deep  one;  for  the  girdle  of  Ash- 
toreth seldom  binds  like  with  like." 

The  artist  kept  silence  for  some  minutes,  as  if 
pondering  the  problem. 

"  Love  is  truly  a  great  mystery,"  he  said  at  last. 
*'  I  can  think  of  you  loving  none  but  a  man  of  ex- 
ceptional beauty,  one  of  unyielding  will ;  I  can 
imagine  you  sitting  by  the  side  of  a  conqueror,  a 


320  A  Captain  of  Men 

king.  But  I  cannot  imagine  you  as  the  wife  of  a 
dwarf,  —  even  of  Hiram,  the  great  artist.  This  is 
the  meaning  of  my  riddle.  Is  it  not  the  truth  ?  " 

"  Then  if  that  be  true,  you  have  left  me  never 
to  wed.  Where  is  it  possible  to  find  such  a  man 
among  the  merchants  of  Tyre?  There  are  here 
men  enough;  but  they  would  all  sell  themselves 
for  the  silver  of  Carchemish.  Merchandise  and 
barter  are  poor  gardens  in  which  to  grow  real  men. 
There  are  times  when  I  sicken  of  money  and  the 
search  for  wealth." 

"  But  there  are  men  besides  these  of  Tyre.  All 
men  are  not  merchants ;  there  are  others,  —  sol- 
diers, for  instance,  like  Merodach." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  was  the  careless  reply.  "  But 
even  Merodach  has  been  to  the  end  of  the  earth 
in  search  of  wealth.  He  has  dared  the  Unknown 
Sea  to  find  the  land  of  tin.  There  are  few  in  the 
world  like  you,  Hiram  Abif.  Wealth  is  nothing 
to  you  when  you  desire  to  excel  what  you  have 
already  done." 

Tanith  became  silent,  and  the  dwarf  walked  rest- 
lessly about  the  room,  mocking  at  the  folly  which 
had  made  him  eager  to  catch  at  straws.  She  would 
not  be  frank  with  him,  she  evaded  him  at  every 
point,  and  he  was  determined  on  having  nothing 
less  than  the  absolute  truth. 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  321 

During  his  years  of  study  and  experiment,  he 
had  made  some  strange  discoveries.  Once  the  king 
had  jested  with  him,  declaring  that  up  to  that  mo- 
ment he  had  told  nothing  but  what  was  true.  "  But 
to-day  I  have  a  secret,  and  I  challenge  you  to  wring 
it  from  me,"  he  had  laughingly  said.  The  artist 
had  accepted  the  challenge,  and  later  the  king  had 
left  him,  completely  convinced  that  no  secret  was 
beyond  the  reach  of  Hiram  Abif. 

Perhaps  the  modern  reader  will  understand  the 
artist's  cunning  when  he  is  told  that  Tanith  saw  a 
globe  of  light  slowly  descend  from  the  ceiling  until 
it  hung  motionless  before  and  above  her  face. 
Quite  naturally  she  bent  her  neck  and  gazed  at  the 
strange  appearance;  she  could  not  help  bending 
backward  and  watching  it.  The  artist  had  disap- 
peared, the  room  was  hot  and  very  still,  and  she 
began  to  feel  drowsy.  From  somewhere  behind  her 
she  heard  a  soothing  yet  commanding  voice.  "  It 
is  the  Eye  of  Ashtoreth,"  it  said.  "  It  is  gazing  into 
the  secret  places  of  thine  heart.  There  is  nothing 
that  can  be  hidden  from  its  gaze." 

"  It  is  time  for  me  to  leave  you,"  said  Tanith, 
drowsily;  but  she  could  not  rise;  she  could  see 
nothing  but  the  radiant  globe.  Then  consciousness 
left  her,  and  she  was  sound  asleep. 

The  dwarf  came  out  from  his  place  of  conceal- 


322  A   Captain  of  Men 

ment.  "  Your  body  is  in  the  Land  of  Nothingness," 
he  whispered.  "  But  your  spirit  is  now  mine,  Tan- 
ith.  Will  you  now  speak  the  truth  to  me?" 

"  I  will  speak  nothing  but  the  truth." 

"You  swear  it?" 

"  I  swear  to  speak  the  truth." 

"  Did  you  cause  Miriam's  death  ?  Did  you  in- 
cite the  mob  to  stone  her?  " 

"  Your  question  is  a  strange  one,  for  Miriam  is 
not  dead." 

"  But  I  saw  her  placed  in  the  tomb;  how  can  she 
be  living?  " 

"  She  was  still  alive,  she  had  not  died.  I  gave 
her  a  sleeping  potion.  Zagros  helped  me  to  take 
her  from  the  tomb." 

"  Where,  then,  is  your  slave  ?  Where  did  you 
put  her?" 

"  We  bore  her  to  the  cavern  behind  my  house, 
on  the  mainland." 

"And  Miriam  is  still  alive?" 

"  Miriam  is  alive  in  the  cave." 

"  How  can  I  find  the  cave  ?  " 

"  It  is  at  the  roots  of  the  third  tree  from  the 
house  —  eastward.  There  is  a  secret  doorway;  it 
was  contrived  by  you  five  years  ago.  You  will 
remember  it." 

"  Why  did  you  do  this  to  Miriam  ?  " 


The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth  323 

"  Because  Merodach  loved  her." 

"What  will  you  do  with  her?" 

"  She  shall  starve  to  death ;  I  shall  see  her  die  by 
slow  degrees." 

"  And  do  you  love  —  him  ?  " 

"  Better  than  my  own  life." 

"  But  you  told  me  that  you  loved  me,"  said  the 
dwarf,  huskily. 

"  Can  an  ugly  dwarf  hope  for  love  beside  Mero- 
dach? I  have  never  loved  any  save  Merodach." 

"  It  is  time  for  you  to  awake,  Tanith.  I  com- 
mand you  to  come  back  to  life,"  said  the  artist, 
wiping  the  cold  sweat  from  his  forehead. 

Tanith  sighed  and  looked  to  see  the  shining  globe, 
but  there  was  only  a  lamp  burning  to  give  the  room 
light. 

"Where  is  the  globe,  Hiram  Abif?" 

"  The  heat  has  made  you  drowsy,  and  you  have 
slept  and  dreamed.  But  Tanith,  could  you  love  the 
dwarf  enough  to  be  his  wife?" 

Tanith  answered,  mockingly :  "  I  am  still  dull 
with  sleep.  Ask  me  again  to-morrow,  and  I  will 
tell  you  frankly." 

Then  she  left  him,  altogether  ignorant  of  what 
she  had  said  in  her  sleep.  And  Hiram  Abif  cursed 
himself  for  having  wrung  from  her  the  torture  of 
truth. 


CHAPTER    XX. 
TANITH'S  CHOICE 

THE  morning  of  the  Day  of  Expiation  had 
hardly  dawned  before  the  priests  of  Baal-Moloch 
began  their  bloody  work.  The  mournful  wail  of 
Phoenician  pipes,  the  sound  of  tabrets,  and  the 
steadily  increasing  volume  of  noise  from  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  temple  were  sure  indications  that  Baal- 
Moloch  would  not  lack  offerings  that  day. 

Tanith  arose  from  her  uneasy  slumbers  and  went 
to  the  window.  Opening  its  lattice,  she  leaned  out 
and  listened  to  the  music  and  the  cries  of  the  multi- 
tude. Until  yesterday  her  life  had  been  subject  to 
the  caprice  of  those  who  hated  her.  But  now  Mero- 
dach  had  come,  and  everything  was  changed.  She 
had  been  with  him  at  supper  at  the  palace.  She 
knew  that  the  king  had  spoken  to  him  of  the  As- 
syrian embassy,  and  of  his  wish  to  form  a  friendly 
alliance.  Her  father  had  assured  her  that  Merodach 
had  manifested  no  repugnance  at  the  suggestion  of 

324 


Tanith's  Choice  325 

marriage  with  her.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  prom- 
ised to  give  the  matter  the  most  careful  considera- 
tion. That  he  loved  Miriam  had  been  only  too 
evident;  but  he  believed  that  she  was  dead;  he 
would  feel  the  necessity  of  choosing  his  queen,  and 
Tanith  drank  deeply  of  the  cup  of  anticipation. 
To-day  there  would  be  trouble,  serious  trouble, 
but  that  did  not  disturb  her  in  the  least.  She  was 
eager  to  see  it  come,  for  she  knew  that  he  had  gath- 
ered his  band  of  terrible  fighters,  and  that  they 
were  ready  for  whatever  might  occur;  and  she 
would  see  to  it  that  she  did  not  miss  the  sight  of 
her  hero  in  battle. 

From  this  her  mind  drifted  back  to  memory  of 
what  had  passed  between  her  and  Hiram  Abif. 
She  laughed  softly  when  she  recalled  the  fact  that 
he  had  actually  tried  to  win  her.  It  was  no  slight 
thing  to  have  lured  him  so  far  from  his  beloved  art. 
For  the  first  time  she  had  seen  him  openly  in  ear- 
nest. Even  Hiram  Abif  was  not  superior  to  all 
the  weaknesses  of  man.  But,  after  all,  he  was  a 
dwarf,  an  ugly,  subtle,  amusing  toy  to  be  picked 
up  in  idle  moments,  to  be  cast  carelessly  aside  at 
her  will. 

But  just  at  this  moment  a  curious  phrase  came  to 
her  mind,  —  "  The  Eye  of  Ashtoreth."  There  was 
something  haunting,  fascinating  in  the  words,  and 


326  A  Captain  of  Men 

she  repeated  them  over  and  over,  now  to  herself, 
now  aloud.  The  strange  power  of  association  made 
her  see  in  startling  clearness  a  globe  of  light  hang- 
ing just  above  her.  Ah,  it  was  her  dream,  she  had 
seen  it  in  her  dream,  she  had  dreamed  of  those 
words  in  the  artist's  studio.  "  The  Eye  of  Ash- 
toreth  .  .  .  there  is  nothing  that  can  be  hidden 
from  its  gaze,"  —  were  those  last  words  also  of  her 
dream  ?  Tanith  shuddered  and  quitted  the  window. 
Hiram  Abif  had  fearful,  unknown  powers;  she 
did  not  enjoy  the  memory  of  having  slept  and 
dreamed  in  his  room.  The  gods  often  spoke  to 
people  in  dreams,  —  what  if  one  had  spoken  to  her 
then?  Hiram  Abif  may  have  heard  of  secrets  she 
had  deemed  beyond  the  reach  of  human  mind. 

Such  a  possibility  disturbed  her  so  that  she  sought 
refuge  in  a  minute  analysis  of  Miriam's  condition. 
Another  night  of  suffering  had  passed,  and  Tanith 
tried  to  imagine  the  horrors  of  such  an  experience. 
Here  was  a  morsel  to  tickle  her  palate.  As  were 
the  tunny  fish  and  salted  eels  of  Tarshish  in  a  ban- 
quet, was  this  delicacy  for  her  mental  feast.  She 
could  not  sate  her  appetite  for  vengeance.  Yet  it 
would  be  infinitely  better  to  behold  Miriam  with 
her  bodily  eyes. 

The  pleasure  was  too  tempting  to  be  resisted. 
She  called  her  tirewomen,  and  reclined  luxuriously 


Tanith's  Choice  327 

upon  her  couch,  while  they  trimmed  and  polished 
her  finger-nails  and  dyed  them  yellow  with  henna. 
They  scented  her  hair  with  her  rare  perfume  of 
lilies,  and  piled  it  in  glossy  braids  above  her  fore- 
head. The  lids  of  her  eyes  were  darkened.  Her 
finest  robe  of  Egyptian  linen,  with  its  broad  em- 
broidered band,  —  designed  by  Hiram  Abif,  —  was 
fastened  about  her  waist  with  a  belt  encrusted  with 
sparkling  gems.  Her  feet  were  scented  and  pol- 
ished, and  shod  with  sandals  of  exquisite  workman- 
ship. On  her  brow  were  placed  her  choicest  ban- 
gles. She  was  made  dazzling,  bewitching,  by  the 
deft  handling  of  her  maidens. 

One  of  them,  Onca,  held  a  mirror  that  she  might 
criticize  the  result  of  their  labours.  Tanith  was 
enchanted  by  her  own  loveliness;  she  was  without 
flaw  or  blemish,  and  she  dismissed  them  with  lav- 
ish reward.  She  told  them  that  she  was  going  to 
her  home  in  Old  Tyre,  for  she  had  heard  that  the 
water  was  running  low,  and  the  fishes  were  dying 
in  their  ponds.  Onca  was  instructed  to  have  her 
chariot  brought  to  the  door,  but  she  besought  her 
mistress  not  to  go.  The  streets  beyond  the  cause- 
way were  likely  to  be  dangerous,  —  what  were  a 
few  dying  fishes  to  weigh  against  the  life  of  her 
mistress  ? 

Tanith  chid  her  for  her  cowardice,  rewarded  her 


328  A  Captain  of  Men 

for  her  loyalty,  and  was  soon  holding  the  reins 
of  her  milk-white  horses  from  the  desert.  Beside 
her  stood  a  strong  Egyptian  slave,  and  behind  her 
was  an  eunuch,  shading  her  from  the  sun  with  a 
parasol,  the  parting  gift  of  Asshur-ab-aram.  The 
rough  Assyrian  had  been  smitten  by  her  charms, 
and  had  declared  that  she  only  in  all  Tyre  was 
worthy  to  be  sheltered  by  the  parasol  of  Assyrian 
royalty. 

Tanith  always  drove  her  chariot,  and  to-day  her 
impatience -grew  as  she  drove.  Urging  her  horses 
to  their  utmost  limit,  she  was  whirled  like  the  wind 
over  the  causeway  and  into  the  streets  of  the  older 
city.  There  the  crowds  were  so  great  that  she  was 
compelled  to  moderate  her  speed.  Some  cursed  her 
as  she  passed,  others  begged  her  for  food,  but  she 
laughed  at  them  all.  They  were  all  cravens.  A 
blow  from  her  whip  would  drive  the  boldest  of 
them  howling  away.  Let  them  starve  if  they  must; 
the  Land  of  Nothingness  had  room  for  them,  and 
they  were  overcrowding  Tyre. 

Beyond  this  there  was  nothing  worthy  of  men- 
tion in  her  passage  through  the  streets.  She  safely 
reached  her  home,  and  gave  reason  for  her  presence 
by  examining  into  the  ravages  of  the  drought. 
But  now  that  it  was  possible  for  her  to  see  her 
victim  at  any  moment,  she  dallied  with  her  impa- 


Tanith's  Choice  329 

tience,  and  delayed  her  visit  to  the  cavern.  After 
eating  her  noon  meal,  she  spent  two  full  hours  in 
drowsy  content  before  she  slipped  unnoticed  from 
the  house  and  reached  the  cave. 

Slowly  and  noiselessly  she  set  in  motion  the 
mechanism  of  the  secret  entrance.  A  great  rock  slid 
easily  to  one  side,  disclosing  a  narrow  opening,  and 
she  passed  downward  into  a  dark  passageway.  The 
stone  swung  back  to  its  resting-place;  she  touched 
what  appeared  to  be  solid  rock,  the  wall  opened, 
and  she  was  in  the  cavern  itself.  First  she  closed 
the  second  door,  then  lighting  her  lamp,  she  sat 
quietly  down  beside  it. 

Everything  was  still;  Miriam  undoubtedly  slept, 
so  she  waited  till  her  eyes  became  able  to  see 
through  the  gloom  which  darkened  the  cave  in  spite 
of  her  lamp.  For  her  there  was  no  enjoyment  so 
keen  as  these  few  minutes  when  she  was  waiting 
to  catch  her  first  glimpse  of  her  imprisoned  slave. 

But  as  her  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  gloom, 
she  realized  that  Miriam  was  gone!  No  hint  of 
the  happenings  of  the  night  before  was  to  prepare 
her  for  Miriam's  absence,  and  she  was  dumfounded 
when  she  missed  her.  She  searched  the  very  crev- 
ices in  the  walls  before  she  would  believe  that  the 
place  was  empty,  and,  when  the  truth  had  forced 
a  lodgment  in  her  brain,  her  fury  was  of  frightful 


336  A  Captain  of  Men 

intensity.  She  shrieked  and  rushed  from  side  to 
side,  she  was  not  human,  she  was  devilish  in  her 
rage  and  disappointment.  Rushing  finally  from  the 
cavern,  she  sped  to  the  house,  and  was  soon  driving 
recklessly  back  to  the  island. 

Since  morning  the  temper  of  the  people  had 
grown  more  savage,  and  they  greeted  her  with 
fierce  denunciation.  But  their  curses  pleased  her 
mood.  Flogging  her  already  maddened  horses,  she 
drove  faster  through  the  thronged  streets,  regard- 
less of  the  mischief  she  wrought.  Many  tried  to 
stop  her,  but  she  struck  them  aside  with  her  heavy 
whip.  Others  were  unable  to  escape  her  terrible 
rush,  and  she  passed  over  them  remorselessly.  The 
causeway  was  so  packed  with  people  on  their  way 
to  the  temple  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
open  her  a  passage.  But  she  flogged  her  horses 
still  fiercer,  and  plunged  into  the  mass,  driving  her 
chariot  as  to  a  charge.  A  panic  ensued;  some 
leaped,  screaming,  into  the  sea,  but  others  of  a 
braver  sort  flung  themselves  upon  the  plunging 
horses  and  threw  them  down.  Tanith  plied  her 
whip  like  a  flail,  beating  the  angry  faces  on  every 
side.  A  score  of  hands  tore  her  from  her  chariot, 
and  she  was  tossed  like  a  cork  upon  a  tempestuous 
sea.  She  had  unloosed  the  whirlwind,  and  a  raging 


Tanith's  Choice  331 

mob  bore  her  toward  the  heart  of  the  storm,  —  the 
scorching  breath  of  Baal-Moloch. 

"  She  escaped  the  sacrifice  when  a  child,"  howled 
one.  The  cry  was  taken  up,  and  the  mob  went  mad. 

"  She  owns  all  the  corn  in  Tyre !  "  shrilled  a  hag, 
and  tumult  became  pandemonium. 

Yet  during  it  all  not  an  instant  of  unconscious- 
ness had  spared  Tanith  from  a  full  appreciation  of 
her  peril.  Her  fury  was  changed  to  scorn  and  an 
alert  readiness  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of  Mero- 
dach  hastening  to  her  rescue.  She  was  sure  that 
he  would  come.  She  longed  to  see  him  slay  without 
mercy,  to  see  him  grind  the  mob  to  powder. 

Now  let  us  return  to  the  early  morning  hours,  to 
the  meeting  between  Merodach  and  Hiram  Abif. 

The  latter  appeared  to  be  quite  weary  and  gloomy. 
He  also  seemed  possessed  of  a  spirit  of  captious- 
ness,  and  the  Assyrian  had  no  doubt  of  his  having 
failed  with  Tanith.  The  artist  sullenly  admitted 
that  she  had  been  with  him  the  evening  before,  but 
he  was  so  like  an  ugly  child  that  his  friend  was 
sorely  tempted  to  take  him  by  the  shoulders  and 
shake  him  into  a  better  humour.  Yet  there  were 
other  moments  when  the  dwarf's  expression  filled 
him  with  tenderest  compassion,  for  he  was  cer- 
tainly in  great  misery. 


332  A   Captain  of  Men 

Esmun  and  the  king  called  together  to  see  Mero- 
dach,  who  readily  promised  to  use  his  company  in 
the  event  of  a  riot.  And  truly  he  would  have  been 
loath  to  miss  a  chance  of  repaying  in  terrible  fashion 
the  harm  done  Miriam.  So  he  kept  his  men  con- 
stantly on  the  alert  for  news  of  the  temper  of  the 
people. 

Promptly  at  noon  he  met  the  Assyrian  embassy, 
and  accepted  the  offer  of  the  throne,  but  upon  one 
condition.  While  he  admitted  that  their  policy 
of  wedding  him  to  the  daughter  of  the  late  king 
was  a  wise  one,  he  nevertheless  declared  finally 
and  absolutely  that  he  would  suit  himself  in  the 
matter.  He  would  choose  his  wife  in  accordance 
with  his  own  will  and  pleasure. 

Whereat  the  spokesman  of  the  party  made  pro- 
found obeisance,  and  cried :  "  O  king,  live  for 
ever!" 

From  noon  till  the  ninth  hour  Merodach  waited 
in  the  house  of  Hiram  Abif.  It  was  so  convenient 
to  the  Great  Square  as  to  make  it  the  best  place 
in  the  city  for  his  headquarters.  His  men  were 
assembled  in  the  studio,  ready  for  whatever  might 
arise.  Chna  improved  this  period  of  monotony 
by  winning  the  combined  wealth  of  the  command. 

At  the  ninth  hour  a  scout  reported  from  beyond 
the  causeway  that  turbulent  groups  were  forming 


Tanith's  Choice  333 

in  the  lower  streets.  A  little  later  another  came  in, 
confirming  the  report.  It  was  also  quite  evident, 
the  latter  said,  that  there  was  some  sort  of  an  or- 
ganization at  the  bottom  of  the  unrest.  He  had 
seen  several  distributing  arms,  and  there  was  quiet 
talk  of  a  raid  on  the  granaries.  Chna  heard  the 
news,  and  smiled  for  the  first  time  that  day.  One 
of  the  band  discovered  the  unusual  radiance. 
"  Buckle  on  your  swords,"  he  chuckled ;  "  the  old 
vulture  scents  blood."  And  another  exclaimed: 
"  By  the  club  of  Melkarth !  you  speak  truth.  It 
was  but  now  our  captain  spoke  softly  to  us,  calling 
us  his  children.  Battle  is  never  far  off  when  our 
lord  is  caressing." 

Hardly  had  they  ceased  speaking  before  Chna 
commanded  them  to  see  that  their  swords  and 
bucklers  were  ready  to  hand,  and  the  company  was 
prepared  for  an  orderly  dash  through  the  doorway. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Hiram  Abif  asked  Mero- 
dach  to  come  to  him  on  the  floor  above.  Grasping 
his  friend's  arm,  and  speaking  in  a  curious  manner, 
he  said: 

"  I  heard  Chna  calling  to  your  men ;  has  the 
trouble  really  begun  ?  " 

;<  Two  of  my  scouts  have  reported  something 
that  leads  us  to  expect  it." 

"  And  it  may  begin  at  any  time,"  exclaimed  the 


334  A  Captain  of  Men 

artist.  "  I  should  have  told  you  sooner  —  sooner. 
I  learnt  strange  news  last  night  —  marvellous  news. 
Miriam  is  not  dead.  Speak,  Merodach,  did  you 
not  hear  me?  Miriam  is  not  dead,  —  she  lives,  she 
was  buried  while  still  alive.  Tanith  went  afterward 
and  removed  her  from  the  tomb.  She  has  been 
weak  from  the  shock,  but  that  will  soon  pass." 

"Leave  me,"  whispered  the  other;  "I  would 
be  alone." 

Awed  by  the  effect  of  his  words  on  one  he  had 
deemed  superior  to  emotion,  the  artist  left  the  room 
and  paced  restlessly  about  the  corridor  outside.  By 
and  by  Merodach  came  to  him  and  spoke  with  his 
customary  calmness. 

"  You  have  more  to  tell  me ;  speak  quickly,  I 
pray  you." 

For  answer,  the  artist  opened  a  door,  pushed  his 
friend  very  gently  into  a  room,  and  closed  the  door 
behind  him.  Miriam  half-rose  from  a  low  couch 
and  uttered  a  choking  cry.  Merodach  kneeled  be- 
side her,  and  drew  her  to  his  breast,  saying  noth- 
ing. Soon  he  held  her  a  little  from  him. 

"  You  have  been  with  me  ever  since  we  parted," 
he  whispered.  "  You  have  twined  about  the  secret 
places  of  my  heart,  nay,  —  you  have  been  a  ray 
of  pure  light  overcoming  its  darkness.  You  have 
almost  made  me  say  that  I  cannot  live  without  you, 


Tanith's  Choice  335 

for  you  are  the  best  of  my  life.  I  cannot  under- 
stand how  you  have  become  so  dear  to  me.  Your 
hands  are  pleasant  against  my  cheek.  They  make 
me  think  of  when  I  was  a  child,  when  my  mother 
used  to  stroke  them.  It  is  sweeter  still  to  see  your 
face,  but  I  long  to  hear  your  voice;  speak  to  me, 
Miriam." 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  speak !  You  have  been  away,  — 
you  are  with  me  again." 

She  did  not  remember  her  wish  to  reproach  him, 
but,  hiding  her  face  in  his  breast,  she  wept  out  the 
horror  which  had  grown  into  her  heart.  Time 
slipped  by  unnoticed;  such  silence  was  better  than 
words. 

"  One  night  you  came  to  me  and  besought  me 
to  hasten,"  he  began,  after  a  long  pause.  "  Your 
face  was  wan  and  stained  with  tears,  your  hands 
were  outstretched  to  draw  me.  I  had  seen  you  often 
in  my  dreams,  but  never  like  that.  I  promised  the 
rowers  great  reward,  but  they  said  they  would 
hasten  for  love  of  me.  They  made  their  oars  bend 
like  twigs;  they  would  neither  rest  nor  sleep  till 
we  saw  the  towers  on  the  north,  —  and  when  I  met 
Tanith,  she  told  me  that  you  were  dead.  It  was 
strange,  but  I  felt  that  I  had  known  of  it  before  she 
told  me." 

"She?     Did  Tanith  say  that  I  was  dead?" 


336  A  Captain  of  Men 

"  She  told  me  that,  and  Hiram  Abif  also  told  me 
that  she  had  tended  you,  that  she  took  you  from  the 
tomb,  and  —  " 

A  terrible  look  came  into  the  Assyrian's  face, 
and  he  cried :  "  Where  have  you  been  since  she 
took  you  from  the  tomb?  Only  yesterday  she  de- 
clared that  you  were  dead,  —  I  must  see  Tanith 
again." 

The  expression  of  his  face  and  the  pitiless  tone 
of  his  voice  gave  new  strength  and  life  to  Miriam. 
Tanith  had  lied;  he  was  true,  he  had  thought  only 
of  her. 

"  She  removed  me  from  the  tomb,  but  she  has 
kept  me  among  crawling,  slimy  things  in  a  cave. 
She  has  sat  and  watched  me  there,  gloating  over 
my  misery.  Oh,  see  her  —  and  kill  her.  Do  you 
indeed  love  me,  Merodach?  Then  show  it  —  show 
it.  Crush  her  foul  beauty!  Slay  her  as  you  would 
a  poisonous  snake !  " 

Until  then  Miriam  had  felt  that  his  love  lacked 
depth.  Now  all  was  changed;  one  glance  at  his 
face  was  enough  to  assure  her  that  his  heart  was 
wholly  her  own.  At  last  they  were  in  perfect  ac- 
cord, —  they  were  one  in  love,  one  in  their  hatred 
of  Tanith,  and  one  in  their  purpose  of  a  final  reck- 
oning. 

So  they  sat  together  a  long  time  silent,  till  they 


Tanith's   Choice  337 

heard  the  fury  of  the  human  tempest  burst  over  the 
street  below  them.  Merodach  sprang  to  the  win- 
dow, flung  open  the  lattice,  and  beheld  the  rioters 
sweeping  like  a  torrent  beneath  him.  Nothing 
seemed  able  to  stop  its  seething,  whirling  rush,  as 
from  the  narrow  street  it  roared  into  the  Great 
Square  like  an  overwhelming  tide.  An  instant  be- 
fore the  king's  guard  had  stood  there,  a  wall  of 
threatening  steel.  Now  they  were  as  rubbish  before 
a  spring  freshet,  and  the  filth  of  the  great  city  was 
the  crest  of  the  horrible  flood. 

The  constantly  increasing  uproar  drew  Miriam 
to  lean  over  her  lover's  shoulder  and  gaze,  fas- 
cinated by  the  fearful  spectacle.  They  saw  Esmun, 
the  princely  merchant,  caught  in  the  street,  and 
heard  his  screams.  He  was  gone,  —  swept  out  of 
existence.  On  a  sudden,  Miriam  leaned  far  out  the 
window. 

"  God  of  Abraham  —  God  of  David  —  'tis  she !  " 
she  cried,  in  fiercest  joy.  "  'Tis  Tanith !  Oh,  there 
is  a  God  of  the  Hebrews,  —  he  has  given  me  the 
will  of  my  heart.  The  proud  is  brought  low,  the 
cruel  one  eats  the  dust.  See  her!  see  her!  buf- 
feted and  torn.  O  God  of  David!  I  will  keep 
my  vow !  " 

Swiftly  and  now  almost  silently  the  rushing  mob 
swept  Tanith  toward  the  clanging  arms  of  Baal- 


338  A  Captain  of  Men 

Moloch.  She  had  once  escaped  the  sacrifice  through 
fraud;  now  her  captors  were  inexorable  to  right 
the  wrong.  Yet  she  neither  struggled  nor  appeared 
afraid,  nor  did  she  try  to  lag;  her  feet  kept  step 
with  the  multitude.  Her  face  was  calm  and  inscru- 
table in  the  midst  of  the  tempest. 

But  just  as  she  reached  the  point  below  them, 
she  raised  her  eyes,  thinking  that  Hiram  Abif  might 
be  there,  might  see  her  pass,  and  it  was  even  pos- 
sible that  Merodach  himself  was  there,  waiting  to 
release  her.  She  beheld  not  the  artist,  but  the 
Assyrian,  and  closely  against  him  leaned  Miriam, 
fiercely  triumphant.  Yet  even  now,  when  she  saw 
the  ruin  of  all  her  plans,  and  when  she  apprehended 
the  greatness  of  her  loss,  her  spirit  rose  above  the 
weakness  of  woman.  Indomitable  in  the  face  of 
defeat,  she  gazed  scornfully,  and  cried  above  the 
tumult : 

"  An  Assyrian  coward  and  a  Hebrew  slave !  —  a 
goodly  pair !  " 

Instantly  an  answering  cry  shrilled  from  behind 
him,  and  Merodach  turned  and  saw  Hiram  Abif 
inarticulate  with  despair  and  longing.  By  his  side 
was  the  king,  waiting  to  give  the  word. 

"  The  time  has  come,"  he  sternly  commanded. 
"  Give  that  mob  a  lesson  it  will  never  forget." 

Merodach  saluted,  and  joined  his  company.   Chna 


Tanith's  Choice  339 

shouted  for  joy,  flung  the  door  wide  open  to  the 
street,  and  followed  his  captain  into  the  fiercest 
battle  of  his  life. 

Like  one  man  armed  with  two  score  blades  of 
steel,  the  company  swung  into  battle-line  and  began 
to  slay.  Shoulder  to  shoulder,  buckler  lapping  buck- 
ler, they  pierced  straight  onward,  their  swords  dart- 
ing death  at  every  thrust.  Never  was  machine  more 
perfect,  never  the  power  of  discipline  and  training 
more  apparent.  As  man  after  man  of  that  little 
body  dropped  from  his  place,  the  lines  closed  up, 
the  band  passed  on,  irresistible  and  unsparing. 
Chna  received  his  death-wound  as  they  swept  into 
the  court  of  the  temple.  Quietly  and  grimly  he 
watched  his  companions  leave  him.  They  were 
swallowed  up  for  a  moment;  the  mob  broke,  flying 
in  every  direction;  they  reappeared,  still  compact, 
always  victorious,  pitiless. 

"  I  never  saw  a  better  fight,"  he  muttered, 
"  nor  such  a  captain."  Then  he  closed  his  eyes  and 
entered  eternity  with  a  smile. 

Meanwhile  hope  was  quite  gone  from  Tanith. 
Merodach  was  with  Miriam,  he  knew  everything, 
her  slave  had  won,  and  the  noise  of  singing  women 
and  mournful  pipes  was  beginning  to  drown  the 
cries  of  the  rioters.  Very  soon  she  must  feel  the 


34-O  A  Captain  of  Men 

awful  embrace  of  Baal-Moloch,  and  life  and  beauty 
would  shrivel  away  and  disappear  for  ever. 

Nevertheless,  she  was  still  watchful  to  seize  a 
reasonable  opportunity  of  escape.  Her  knife  was 
still  hidden  in  her  bosom,  but  she  had  restrained 
herself  from  using  it  prematurely.  Until  now  she 
had  waited  for  the  chance  of  a  rescue.  But  there 
was  none  willing  to  help,  and  she  preferred  rather 
to  die  fighting  than  to  be  offered  to  the  burning 
god.  She  had  no  knowledge  of  the  proximity  of 
Merodach,  being  sure  that  he  had  remained  with 
Miriam.  Yet  she  took  advantage  of  the  confusion 
caused  by  his  approach.  Stabbing  the  one  who 
had  held  her,  she  sprang  on  the  altar  before  the 
golden  asherah.  The  priests  who  had  been  sacri- 
ficing there  had  fled  upon  the  first  indication  of 
violence,  the  fire  of  the  altar  was  scattered,  and, 
for  the  moment,  she  was  free. 

Casting  a  hasty  glance  over  the  court,  she  was 
thrilled  by  the  sight  of  Merodach  at  the  head  of 
his  command.  His  men  were  formed  in  wedge 
shape  now,  their  leader  at  its  point,  and  the  end 
of  the  riot  was  near  at  hand.  She  heard  a  quick 
command,  the  flying  wings  of  the  wedge  swung 
into  battle  front,  and  the  line  of  blood-drenched 
swordsmen  thrust  quicker  and  struck  harder.  She 
could  not  understand  why  he  should  be  there;  it 


Tanith's  Choice  341 

was  marvellous,  incomprehensible,  yet  he  had  kept 
his  promise,  he  would  not  let  her  perish. 

T'anith  was  intoxicated  with  joy  at  his  coming, 
transported  by  his  terrible  grandeur.  He  was  the 
god  of  battles,  his  sword  was  a  flame,  he  was  irre- 
sistible, omnipotent,  implacable. 

"  Oh,  well  struck,  Merodach !  "  she  cried.  "  Slay ! 
kill!  kill!  and  spare  not!  They  melt  before  him, 
—  they  dare  not  meet  him !  Oh,  the  beauty  of  it ! 
Again  and  again  and  again,  —  each  stroke  a  life ! 
They  break  —  they  fly,  —  kill  them  all !  Oh,  I  have 
never  lived  till  now." 

Then  her  tongue  clung  to  the  roof  of  her  mouth, 
and  her  joy  died  to  ashes,  for  he  was  before  her, 
and  his  face  was  as  flint.  The  violence  of  the  mob 
had  destroyed  her  raiment,  yet  she  was  more  glori- 
ous in  her  scanty  rags  than  when  fresh  from  the 
tirewomen.  Merodach  gazed  full  at  her  as  she 
stood,  radiant,  incomparable,  yet  his  voice  had  no 
touch  of  pity  or  of  love  when  he  said: 

"  I  have  kept  my  promise ;  you  are  saved  from 
the  mob.  Now  you  must  answer  to  me  —  and  to 
Miriam.  Your  case  is  hopeless,  Tanith." 

"  I  knew  that  when  I  saw  you  with  her  at  the 
window,  —  yet  you  have  saved  me  from  the  only 
death  I  ever  feared.  I  have  ever  loved  you;  I 
spared  nothing  to  win  you.  But  I  have  failed. 


342  A  Captain  of  Men 

After  you  have  finished  with  me,  ask  Miriam  if 
my  death  will  recompense  her  for  her  agony  in 
the  cave." 

But  when  Merodach  would  have  ended  for  ever 
her  power  for  mischief,  Hiram  Abif  sprang  quickly 
between  them.  He  had  been  with  the  company 
from  the  start.  Covered  with  blood,  utterly  beside 
himself,  he  flung  himself  against  his  friend,  and 
saved  Tanith  from  his  sword. 

"  You  swore  to  give  me  what  I  asked,"  he  cried. 
"  Give  me  Tanith,  —  I  claim  her,  Merodach." 

The  Assyrian  caught  the  dwarf  and  hurled  him 
to  the  ground.  He  raised  his  sword  to  strike,  but 
sheathed  it,  saying: 

"  I  cannot  break  my  oath." 

The  dwarf  staggered  to  his  feet  and  ran  to  Tan- 
ith. 

"  You  are  saved !  "  he  joyfully  cried.  "  You  are 
mine,  Tanith !  mine !  —  only  mine !  " 

"  Truly  I  thank  thee,  Hiram  Abif : 
to  the  Assyrian;  myself  to  the  dwarf, 
become  a  gift  to  be  tossed  from  hand  to  hand, 
regardless  of  my  will.  Nay,  not  so;  I  will  myself 
choose  my  lord." 

And,  without  pause  or  sign  of  reluctance,  Tanith 
went  swiftly  to  the  yet  moving  arms  of  the  Moloch 
the  artist  had  built.  There  she  turned,  and  said: 


Tanith's  Choice  343 

"Greeting's  to  you,  Merodach  and  Hiram  Abif; 
and  greetings  to  my  lord  Baal-Moloch,  whom  I  have 
chosen." 

After  which  she  threw  herself  upon  the  monster's 
arms,  and  was  lifted  slowly  upward  to  its  yawning 
mouth.  Then,  when  she  had  disappeared,  as  if 
its  appetite  was  at  last  appeased,  the  empty  arms  of 
Baal-Moloch  stopped,  and  the  great  day  of  sac- 
rifice was  at  an  end. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


MANY  thoughts  had  come  to  Miriam  while  she 
was  alone  in  the  cavern.  Vague  aspirations  had 
been  floating  through  her  mind  ever  since  her  meet- 
ing with  David.  Heredity,  the  instinct  of  race, 
and  her  admiration  for  her  cousin  had  combined  to 
torment  her  with  unformed  yearnings.  Her  spirit 
was  stirred  by  impelling,  quickening  light ;  it  began 
to  suffer  the  pangs  of  growth.  Also  her  brief  ac- 
quaintance with  Abiram  had  tended  to  lift  her 
aspirations  out  of  the  mire  of  superstition,  and  the 
discipline  of  solitude  had  strengthened,  not  broken, 
her  moral  fibre.  Yet,  at  its  best,  her  religious  na- 
ture was  still  dwarfed  and  immature. 

And  this  should  be  remembered,  and  her  actions 
should  be  judged  by  the  standard  of  her  ignorance, 
of  her  time,  and  her  surroundings.  The  God  of 
her  fathers  was  to  her  hardly  more  than  a  fetich, 
and  her  highest  conception  of  worship  was  to  sac- 

344 


Conclusion  345 

rifice  her  love  for  Merodach,  and  so  placate  the 
wrath  of  a  god  of  more  than  human  jealousy.  As 
Jacob  had  vowed  at  Bethel  to  serve  God  for  a  def- 
inite recompense,  —  this  for  that,  bargain  for  bar- 
gain, -  -  so  Miriam  had  vowed  to  yield  up  her  love 
if  the  God  of  David  would  help  her  against  Tanith. 

Now  although  she  had  been  delivered  from  her 
prison,  she  had  thought  only  of  the  sweetness  of 
her  meeting  with  Merodach;  and  now  Tanith  was 
dead;  and  now  the  king  had  freed  her  from  servi- 
tude, and  she  was  no  longer  a  slave.  Yet  how  hard 
it  was  for  her  to  fulfil  her  vow. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  day  after  the  riot ;  she 
was  alone,  the  guest  of  the  king;  she  was  waiting 
to  meet  Merodach,  and  she  would  rather  die  than 
say  him  nay. 

He  came  to  her  radiant  with  success  and  the  hope 
of  future  greatness.  He  had  just  parted  with  the 
embassy  which  had  shown  him  royal  honours.  He 
had  discovered  the  water  route  to  the  land  of  tin, 
he  had  enriched  the  kingdom  he  meant  to  rule.  Also 
the  death  of  Tanith  had  relieved  him  of  a  heavy 
burden.  She  was  no  longer  an  element  of  uncer- 
tainty, a  danger  to  be  overcome. 

Life  and  love,  love  and  power  and  youth  were 
his;  and  Miriam  was  to  share  them  with  him. 
There  was  not  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  in  his  mind; 


346  A  Captain  of  Men 

she  would  surely  be  his  queen.  Therefore  it  was 
a  glorified,  transfigured  lover  that  appeared  to  tempt 
her  when  her  own  heart  was  seemingly  most  weak 
and  traitorous. 

"  Hiram  told  me  that  you  were  free.  I  am  called 
to  the  throne  of  my  fathers.  Soon,  very  soon,  I 
will  turn  my  back  on  this  land  of  barter  and  sale. 
I  will  try  to  reign  royally  and  justly.  Miriam,  will 
you  go  with  me  to  the  City  of  Asshur?  Will  you 
sit  with  me  on  my  throne  ?  " 

"  Are  you  going  so  soon  ?  "  she  asked,  wishing 
to  bask  a  little  longer  in  the  sunshine  of  his  un- 
wonted joyousness. 

"  I  am  only  delaying  till  I  have  finished  with 
the  king,  and  till  Hiram  Abif  has  become  freed  of 
his  evil  spirits." 

"  I  have  heard  that  he  cries  continually,  '  Tanith ! 
Tanith ! '  that  he  wished  to  cut  off  the  hand  that 
designed  the  image  of  Baal-Moloch.  Is  it  true 
that  he  considers  himself  guilty  of  her  death  ?  " 

"  He  curses  the  day  he  made  the  god.  He  be- 
lieves that  if  he  had  not  made  it  she  would  still 
be  alive.  He  speaks  of  having  been  warned  of 
what  was  to  come  two  years  ago.  He  seems  to  be 
able  to  think  of  nothing  else." 

"  And  you  yourself?  "  said  Miriam,  giving  utter- 
ance to  the  question  which  troubled  her  more  than 


Conclusion  347 

she  knew.  "  Are  you  glad  that  he  reminded  you  of 
your  promise  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell.  Sometimes  I  am  not  sorry  to 
have  been  prevented.  But  that  is  because  I  deem 
a  sword-thrust  more  honourable  than  the  arms  of 
Baal-Moloch.  She  was  braver  than  the  bravest 
warrior,  —  but  I  cannot  forget  the  evil  she  has 
done." 

"  She  wore  the  golden  disk  I  gave  you,  Mero- 
dach.  When  I  was  at  her  mercy  in  the  cave,  she 
cruelly  increased  my  misery  by  displaying  it  upon 
her  breast." 

"  It  was  then  as  I  suspected,"  replied  her  lover, 
disconcerted  by  this  sudden  attack.  "  I  went  to 
see  her  the  night  I  left.  She  had  plotted  my  death, 
and  it  was  my  purpose  to  inform  her  of  my  knowl- 
edge, to  call  her  to  an  accounting.  Before  we 
parted,  she  struck  so  fiercely  at  me  that  her  dagger 
glanced  from  where  it  fell  —  against  the  disk  — 
and  severed  the  chain  which  held  it.  The  disk  must 
have  fallen  on  the  floor  of  her  room.  I  did  not 
discover  my  loss  until  we  were  miles  at  sea." 

"  When  I  beheld  you  enter  the  room  where  I 
lay,  I  knew  only  joy  because  of  your  return.  And 
while  I  listened  to  you  as  you  spoke  of  your  love, 
I  grew  faint  with  happiness.  But  since  then  I  have 
remembered  that  your  heart  has  long  been  divided 


348  A   Captain  of  Men 

between  her  and  me.  You  have  yourself  admitted 
that  you  desired  us  both.  The  time  has  come  when 
we  must  speak  frankly;  why  did  you  spare  Tanith 
when  she  tried  to  kill  you  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  altogether  understand  my  own  heart, 
Miriam.  I  will  not  deny  that  I  hesitated  between 
you  two,  that  I  desired  you  both.  More  than  that, 
I  will  confess  that  she  showed  me  her  love  that 
night,  and  that  she  had  power  then  to  move  me  in 
no  slight  degree.  But  even  then  I  was  concerned 
for  your  safety  during  my  absence;  I  hoped  to 
guard  you  by  making  her  believe  that  I  truly  loved 
her.  Now,  despite  the  fact  that  perfect  frankness 
is  seldom  wise,  I  am  hiding  nothing  from  you. 
Therefore  you  must  believe  me  when  I  declare  that 
so  soon  as  I  came  back  and  met  her  again,  I  learned 
that  her  power  to  move  me  was  quite  gone.  My 
love,  the  past  is  past.  I  am  come  to  you  with  no 
divided  love."  His  eyes  became  exceedingly  ten- 
der and  grave,  but  there  was  a  happy,  buoyant  note 
in  his  voice,  as  he  continued : 

"  You  have  thrown  out  your  skirmishers  to  cover 
your  attack,  you  have  overwhelmed  with  your 
chariots,  and  your  horsemen  have  ridden  me  down. 
Behold  I  yield  myself  your  captive;  for  when  I 
would  flee  to  my  stronghold  for  refuge,  I  find  a 
traitor  within  its  gates.  I  am  defenceless  before 


Conclusion  349 

you.  Would  you  take  my  heart  from  my  breast, 
—  it  is  already  in  your  keeping.  Would  you  des- 
troy my  sight,  —  I  am  blinded  for  ever  by  your 
beauty.  Yet  I  am  ready  always  to  accept  whatever 
punishment  you  may  inflict.  See,  Miriam,  I  am 
utterly  at  your  mercy,  for  I  am  here  to  hold  you 
to  your  promise ;  can  you  say  me  nay  ?  " 

His  arms  were  about  her,  he  kissed  her  cheeks 
and  her  lips,  calling  her  the  tender  names  his 
mother  had  used  to  him;  he  was  at  last  the  lover 
of  her  dreams,  and  she  could  not  doubt  him. 
Neither  could  she  deny  herself  a  taste  of  perfect 
joy.  For  just  this  once,  she  told  herself,  —  to-mor- 
row would  be  soon  there,  to-morrow  she  would 
compel  herself  to  do  the  right. 

But  after  he  was  gone,  her  conscience  regained 
supremacy,  and  she  discovered  that  the  suffering 
imposed  by  exterior  agencies  is  nothing  compared 
with  that  from  within,  that  her  past  agony  was 
now  not  worthy  of  remembrance.  It  was  impossible 
for  her  to  endure  long  the  stress  of  the  inner  con- 
flict, she  had  reached  the  crisis,  she  must  decide 
at  once.  Never  before,  in  her  relations  with  Mero- 
dach,  had  she  been  able  to  appreciate  the  value  of 
certainty.  For  heretofore  she  was  always  the  slave, 
Tanith  the  mistress;  and  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  see  Tanith  attain  her  ends.  Merodach  might, 


350  A   Captain  of  Men 

for  a  season,  vibrate  from  this  one  to  the  other, 
but  in  the  end  Tanith  must  win.  Consequently, 
Miriam  had  found  renunciation  easier  then  than 
now,  for  now  she  must  lose  her  very  self  in  losing 
him.  Tossed  and  divided  by  mental  storm,  con- 
flicting claims,  and  consuming  passion,  it  was  long 
before  she  could  either  rest  or  sleep.  But  just  at 
dawn  the  subtle  opiate  of  self-sacrifice  soothed  her 
troubled  spirit  and  she  fell  asleep,  thinking  that 
she  had  attained  to  permanent  peace. 

So  the  grist  of  the  eternal,  inexorable  mills  be- 
came for  Merodach  the  flour  of  retribution;  for 
now  that  he  fully  appreciated  Miriam's  love,  he 
was  compelled  to  fight  against  the  odds  of  religious 
yearning  joined  to  the  feminine  instinct  of  self- 
immolation. 

At  first  he  was  dumfounded  by  the  discovery  that 
he  must  fight  at  all,  neither  could  he  comprehend 
the  subtleties  of  the  opposing  foe.  But  he  battled 
with  all  the  force  and  resourceful  stubbornness  of 
his  nature  till,  hopeless  and  utterly  baffled,  he  was 
compelled  to  cry :  "  I  cannot  hope  to  win  against 
the  gods ! " 

No  sooner  had  he  arrived  at  this  conclusion  than, 
manlike,  he  wished  to  flee  from  the  scene  of  his 
defeat.  Bidding  farewell  to  Hiram  Abif,  he  closed 
his  affairs  with  the  king,  and  then  informed  Miriam 


Conclusion  35 I 

of  his  purpose  to  start  early  in  the  morning  for 
the  City  of  Asshur  by  the  Damascus  road. 

He  had  accepted  her  decision  as  final.  It  was 
folly  to  prolong  his  suffering  by  remaining  with  her. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  Miriam  treasured  each 
moment  of  his  presence  as  a  miser  counts  his  gold. 
She  could  also  take  the  Damascus  road,  and  join 
in  that  city  some  caravan  for  Palestine.  So  she 
prevailed  upon  him  to  accompany  her  thus  far,  and 
together  they  quitted  Phoenicia  for  ever. 

Yet,  while  he  had  acceded  to  her  request,  and 
had  procured  for  her  an  easy-footed  camel,  he  urged 
his  horse  to  such  a  pace  that  they  reached  their 
common  destination  that  night  before  the  doors 
of  its  principal  inn  were  closed. 

Miriam  had  indulged  herself  the  bitter  pleasure 
of  being  with  him  to  the  last  moment.  She  had 
impressed  upon  her  memory  each  detail  of  her  lov- 
er's appearance  as  he  rode  silent  and  stern  by  her 
side.  During  their  noontime  rest  she  made  timid 
approaches,  trying  to  lure  him  to  believe  in  the 
wisdom  of  her  course;  she  wished  to  see  his  face 
lose  its  haggard  sternness  before  she  left  him.  She 
was  grieved  by  the  memory  of  his  haste  in  the 
morning.  It  was  true  that  he  had  been  full  of 
consideration  for  her  comfort,  and  his  manner  to 
her  had  been  always  gentle,  but  he  seemed  very 


352  A  Captain  of  Men 

eager  to  have  her  safely  upon  her  way  —  away 
from  him. 

Surely  she  would  never  have  left  him  could  she 
have  seen  into  the  most  secret  chamber  of  the  heart 
of  this  masterful  but  defeated  man.  His  head  had 
pained  him  much  upon  the  way.  The  sun  had  been 
blazing  hot,  and  sharp  pains  had  darted  from  eye 
to  eye.  Often  his  vision  had  been  blurred,  lacking 
accuracy  and  clearness,  and  a  great  fear  had  been 
growing  in  his  heart.  That  first  attack  of  blindness 
had  been  hardly  worth  remembering;  but  now  he 
recalled  it  in  connection  with  his  affliction  while  on 
the  island.  It  was  true  that  he  had  recovered  each 
time.  He  could  not  explain  to  himself  why  it  was, 
yet  a  conviction  had  formed  in  his  mind  that  he 
was  soon  to  be  blind  for  ever.  And  he  was  sure 
that  such  a  fate  would  be  the  closing  of  his  life. 
Miriam  was  lost,  and  he  could  not  hope  to  claim 
the  Assyrian  throne  when  blind.  Until  now  he 
had  faced  and  overcome  the  opposition  of  man,  he 
had  surmounted  or  removed  every  obstacle  in  the 
path  he  had  marked  out  to  tread.  But  now,  at  the 
pinnacle  of  success,  he  found  himself  confronted 
by  a  wall  as  high  as  heaven;  before  him  was  a 
barrier  he  could  not  cross,  —  there  was  no  power 
in  mere  man  to  overcome  the  fate  of  total  blindness. 

No  better  proof  of  the  genuineness  of  his  love 


Conclusion  353 

for  Miriam  could  be  given  than  this:  he  accepted 
the  certainty  of  loss  of  sight,  and  he  vowed  to  spare 
her  the  grief  of  sharing  his  knowledge.  He  would 
send  her  from  him,  he  would  see  her  safely  started 
with  some  caravan,  in  ignorance  of  what  was  to 
befall  him.  Afterward  it  should  be  himself  alone 
with  Fate. 

Then  they  parted,  and  then  utter  darkness  veiled 
him  from  the  world  of  light  and  beauty.  He  was 
blind,  and  his  horse,  Nergal,  was  the  only  living 
thing  he  might  call  his  own. 

He  hired  a  boy  to  lead  him  to  a  shady  spot  by 
the  cool  waters  of  clear  Abana,  where  he  patiently 
waited  while  Nergal  drank  his  fill.  After  bathing 
his  aching  temples,  he  was  led  to  a  seat  beneath  a 
tree,  and,  dismissing  the  lad,  he  let  memory  unroll 
the  pages  of  his  life.  Nergal  tired  of  freedom  and 
came  to  poke  his  cool,  velvety  muzzle  against  his 
master's  cheek.  Merodach  caressed  his  nostrils  and 
placed  his  head  against  his  breast.  The  horse's 
loving  whinnies  awoke  him  from  his  reverie.  They 
had  been  as  one  on  many  a  hard-fought  field ;  they 
had  plunged  into  the  dust  and  tumult  of  battle, 
rejoicing  in  their  power  to  fight  and  slay.  He  had 
slept  among  the  dripping  reeds,  and  Nergal  had 
kept  watch  and  warned  him  of  lurking  foe  or  prowl- 
ing beast.  They  had  been  comrades  in  success  and 


354  A  Captain  of  Men 

defeat,  but  they  must  part.  He  would  never  again 
mount  his  faithful  steed;  he  was  blind,  impotent, 
cast  out  of  the  action  of  the  stirring  world,  and  the 
thought  of  any  other  hand  save  his  guiding  and 
controlling  this  friend  of  the  past  could  not  be  en- 
dured. Crawling  down  to  the  river's  brink,  he 
called  Nergal  to  his  side.  He  breathed  heavily 
while  he  worked  his  horse  sidewise  to  the  stream; 
it  was  like  murder  to  strike,  but  that,  too,  was  done. 
He  heard  the  splash  of  the  horse  in  the  river;  he 
had  stabbed  him  to  the  brain,  and  now,  absolutely 
alone,  he  sought  to  retrace  his  course  back  to  the 
tree  and  finish  what  he  had  begun.  He  would  end 
his  life  beneath  the  tree  where  he  had  rested. 

Somehow  he  felt  it  necessary  to  reach  that  one 
particular  spot,  but  he  became  confused,  turned 
about,  he  could  not  distinguish  one  tree  from  an- 
other, and  he  bruised  himself  in  his  vain  attempt 
to  return.  Indeed  he  was  quite  lost  when  suddenly 
a  trembling  hand  slipped  into  his  own,  he  was 
guided  to  a  pleasant  place,  and  he  heard  Miriam's 
voice,  broken,  ashamed,  and  full  of  pleading. 

"  I  could  not  endure  the  pain  of  my  heart,"  she 
exclaimed.  "  After  we  had  passed  from  your  sight, 
I  slipped  away.  I  cannot  live  away  from  you.  .  .  . 
I  have  been  here  watching  you.  I  saw  you  kill 
your  horse,  —  oh,  my  love!  what  is  this  mystery? 


Conclusion  355 

You  fell  against  the  tree,  —  you  act  so  strangely. 
Oh,  I  cannot  understand  what  I  saw !  " 

"  I  am  blind,  Miriam,"  was  all  he  could  say. 
Overwhelmed  by  her  unexpected  presence,  by  this 
unhoped-for  proof  of  her  love,  he  could  only  hold 
her  in  his  arms  and  sate  himself  with  happiness. 
He  had  baffled  Fate,  he  had  won  in  spite  of  the 
gods,  he  had  won  in  the  very  instant  of  defeat. 

His  words  were  like  a  thunderbolt  to  Miriam; 
they  were  incomprehensible,  horrible.  Then  that 
wonderful  strength  of  woman,  that  adorable  quality 
of  self-forgetfulness  in  the  presence  of  suffering, 
sprang  instantly  to  life.  She  took  up  at  once,  and 
with  infinite  content,  her  loving  task  of  being  eyes 
and  sight  for  her  lover,  her  lord.  The  inherent 
strength  and  beauty  of  her  character  blossomed  to 
give  fragrance  to  his  life,  and  Miriam  became  more 
to  him  than  throne  of  Assyria  or  sight  of  his  eyes. 

Years  afterward,  near  their  vine-clad  home 
among  the  hills  of  Palestine,  she  stood  beside  the 
blind  chieftain.  She  had  set  his  face  toward  the 
land  he  had  resolved  to  rule,  and  her  heart  swelled 
almost  to  bursting  while  he  seemed  to  gaze  at  what 
might  have  been.  Was  he  really  content  to  live  in 
quiet  and  with  only  her?  she  wondered  wistfully. 

The  panorama  of  earthly  power  and  glory  passed 


356  A   Captain  of  Men 

slowly,  bit  by  bit,  before  his  inner  vision.  He  was 
long  silent,  but  his  voice  was  altogether  cheerful 
and  void  of  what  she  had  feared  when  he  turned  to 
her,  and  said : 

"  Behold,   thou   art  become   my  queen   and   my 
kingdom  of  delight,  Miriam." 


THE   END. 


L.  C.  page  and  Company's 
Hnnounccmcnt  List 
of  )^cw  fiction 


The  Flight  of  Georgiana 

A  ROMANCE  OF  THE  DAYS  OF  THE  YOUNG  PRETENDER.  By 
ROBERT  NEILSON  STEPHENS,  author  of  "  The  Bright  Face  of 
Danger,"  "  An  Enemy  to  the  King,"  "  The  Mystery  of 
Murray  Davenport,"  etc. 

Library  i2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  $1.50 
Mr.  Stephens's  novels  all  bear  the  hall-mark  of  success, 
for  his  men  are  always  live,  his  women  are  always  worthy  of 
their  cavaliers,  and  his  adventures  are  of  the  sort  to  stir  the 
most  sluggish  blood  without  overstepping  the  bounds  of  good 
taste. 

The  theme  of  the  new  novel  is  one  which  will  give  Mr. 
Stephens  splendid  scope  for  all  the  powers  at  his  command. 
The  career  of  "  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie  "  was  full  of  romance, 
intrigue,  and  adventure;  his  life  was  a  series  of  episodes  to 
delight  the  soul  of  a  reader  of  fiction,  and  Mr.  Stephens  is 
to  be  congratulated  for  his  selection  of  such  a  promising 
subject. 

Mrs.  Jim  and  Mrs.  Jimmie 

By  STEPHEN  CONRAD,  author  of  "  The  Second  Mrs.  Jim." 
Library  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated        .        .    $1.50 
This  new  book  is  in  a  sense  a  sequel  to  "  The  Second  Mrs. 
Jim,"  since  it  gives  further  glimpses  of  that  delightful  step- 
mother and  her  philosophy.     This  time,  however,  she  divides 
the  field  with  "  Mrs.  Jimmie,"  who  is  quite  as  attractive  in 
her  different  way.    The  book  has  more  plot  than  the  former 
volume,   a   little  less  philosophy  perhaps,   but  just   as  much 
wholesome  fun.     In  many  ways  it  is  a  stronger  book,  and 
will  therefore  take  an  even  firmer  hold  on  the  public. 

i 


1.  C.  PAGE  AND  COMPANY'S 


The  Story  of  Red  Fox 

Told  by  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS,  author  of  "  The  Watchers 
of  the  Trails,"  "The  Kindred  of  the  Wild,"  "Barbara 
Ladd,"  etc. 

Library  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  with  fifty  illustrations  and 
cover  design  by  Charles  Livingston  Bull  .  .  .  $2.00 

Mr.  Roberts's  reputation  as  a  scientifically  accurate  writer, 
whose  literary  skill  transforms  his  animal  stories  into  mas- 
terpieces, stands  unrivalled  in  his  particular  field. 

This  is  his  first  long  animal  story,  and  his  romance  of  Red 
Fox,  from  babyhood  to  patriarchal  old  age,  makes  reading 
more  fascinating  than  any  work  of  fiction.  In  his  hands  Red 
Fox  becomes  a  personality  so  strong  that  one  entirely  forgets 
he  is  an  animal,  and  his  haps  and  mishaps  grip  you  as  do 
those  of  a  person. 

Mr.  Bull,  as  usual,  fits  his  pictures  to  the  text  as  hand  to 
glove,  and  the  ensemble  becomes  a  book  as  near  perfection 
as  it  is  possible  to  attain. 


Return 

A  STORY  OF  THE  SEA  ISLANDS  IN  1739.  By  ALICE  MAC- 
GOWAN  and  GRACE  MACGOWAN  COOKE,  authors  of  "  The 
Last  Word,"  etc.  With  six  illustrations  by  C.  D.  Williams. 
Library  i2mo,  cloth $1-5° 

A  new  romance,  undoubtedly  the  best  work  yet  done  by 
Miss  MacGowan  and  Mrs.  Cooke.  The  heroine  of  "  Return," 
Diana  Chaters,  is  the  belle  of  the  Colonial  city  of  Charles 
Town,  S.  C.,  in  the  early  eighteenth  century,  and  the  hero 
is  a  young  Virginian  of  the  historical  family  of  Marshall. 
The  youth,  beauty,  and  wealth  of  the  fashionable  world,  which 
first  form  the  environment  of  the  romance,  are  pictured  in 
sharp  contrast  to  the  rude  and  exciting  life  of  the  frontier 
settlements  in  the  Georgia  Colony,  and  the  authors  have 
missed  no  opportunities  for  telling  characterizations.  But 
"  Return  "  is,  above  all,  a  love-story. 

We  quote  the  opinion  of  Prof.  Charles  G.  D.  Roberts,  who 
has  read  the  advance  sheets :  "  It  seems  to  me  a  story  of 
quite  unusual  strength  and  interest,  full  of  vitality  and 
crowded  with  telling  characters.  I  greatly  like  the  authors' 
firm,  bold  handling  of  their  subject." 


Lady  Penelope 

By  MORLEY  ROBERTS,  author  of  "  Rachel  Marr,"  "  The  Pro- 
motion of  the  Admiral,"  etc.  With  nine  illustrations  by 
Arthur  W.  Brown. 

Library    I2mo,    cloth $1-5° 

Mr.  Roberts  certainly  has  versatility,  since  this  book  has 
not  a  single  point  of  similarity  with  either  "  Rachel  Marr " 
or  his  well-known  sea  stories.  Its  setting  is  the  English  so- 
called  "  upper  crust "  of  the  present  day.  Lady  Penelope  is 
quite  the  most  up-to-date  young  lady  imaginable  and  equally 
charming.  As  might  be  expected  from  such  a  heroine,  her 
automobiling  plays  an  important  part  in  the  development 
of  the  plot.  Lady  Penelope  has  a  large  number  of  suitors, 
and  her  method  of  choosing  her  husband  is  original  and  pro- 
vocative of  delightful  situations  and  mirthful  incidents. 

The  Winged  Helmet 

By  HAROLD  STEELE  MACKAYE,  author  of  "The  Panchron- 
icon,"  etc.  With  six  illustrations  by  H.  C.  Edwards. 

Library   I2mo,   cloth $1-5° 

When  an  author  has  an  original  theme  on  which  to  build 
his  story,  ability  in  construction  of  unusual  situations,  skill 
in  novel  characterization,  and  a  good  literary  style,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  but  that  his  work  is  worth  reading.  "  The 
Winged  Helmet "  is  of  this  description. 

The  author  gives  in  this  novel  a  convincing  picture  of  life 
in  the  early  sixteenth  century,  and  the  reader  will  be  de- 
lighted with  its  originality  of  treatment,  freshness  of  plot, 
and  unexpected  climaxes. 

A  Captain  of  Men 

By  E.  ANSON  MORE. 

Library  I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated $1.50 

A  tale  of  Tyre  and  those  merchant  princes  whose  discovery 
of  the  value  of  tin  brought  untold  riches  into  the  country 
and  afforded  adventures  without  number  to  those  daring 
seekers  for  the  mines.  Merodach,  the  Assyrian,  Tanith,  the 
daughter  of  the  richest  merchant  of  Tyre,  Miriam,  her  He- 
brew slave,  and  the  dwarf  Hiram,  who  was  the  greatest  artist 
of  his  day,  are  a  quartette  of  characters  hard  to  surpass  in 
individuality.  It  has  been  said  that  the  powerful  order  of 
Free  Masons  first  had  its  origin  in  the  meetings  which  were 
held  at  Hiram's  studio  in  Tyre,  where  gathered  together  the 
greatest  spirits  of  that  age  and  place. 


L.  C.  PAGE  AND   COMPANY'S 


The  Paradise  of  the  Wild  Apple 

By  RICHARD  LEGALLIENNE,  author  of  "Old  Love  Stories 
Retold,"  "  The  Quest  of  the  Golden  Girl,"  etc. 

Library  i2mo,  cloth  decorative $1.50 

The  theme  of  Mr.  LeGallienne's  new  romance  deals  with 
the  instinct  of  wildness  in  human  nature,  —  the  wander  spirit 
and  impatience  of  tame  domesticity,  the  preference  for  wild 
flowers  and  fruits,  and  the  glee  in  summer  storms  and  ele- 
mental frolics.  A  wild  apple-tree,  high  up  in  a  rocky  meadow, 
is  symbolic  of  all  this,  and  Mr.  LeGallienne  works  out  in 
a  fashion  at  once  imaginative  and  serious  the  romance  of  a 
young  man  well  placed  from  the  view  of  worldly  goods  and 
estate,  who  suddenly  hungers  for  the  "  wild  apples "  of  his 
youth.  The  theme  has  limitless  possibilities,  and  Mr.  Le- 
Gallienne is  artist  enough  to  make  adequate  use  of  them. 

The  Grapple 

Library    I2mo,   cloth    decorative $1.50 

This  story  of  a  strike  in  the  coal  mines  of  Pennsylvania 
gives  both  sides  of  the  question,  —  the  Union  and  its  methods, 
and  the  non-Union  workers  and  their  loyal  adherents,  with 
a  final  typical  clash  at  the  end.  The  question  is  an  absorbing 
one,  and  it  is  handled  fearlessly. 

For  the  present  at  least  "  The  Grapple "  will  be  issued 
anonymously. 

Brothers  of  Peril 

By  THEODORE  ROBERTS,  author  of  "  Hemming  the  Adven- 
turer." 

Library  I2tno,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  $1.50 
"Brothers  of  Peril"  has  an  unusual  plot,  dealing  with  a 
now  extinct  race,  the  Beothic  Indians  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, who  were  the  original  inhabitants  of  Newfoundland 
when  that  island  was  merely  a  fishing-station  for  the  cod- 
seeking  fleets  of  the  old  world. 

The  story  tells  of  the  adventures  of  a  young  English  cav- 
alier, who,  left  behind  by  the  fleet,  finds  another  English- 
man, with  his  daughter  and  servants,  who  is  hiding  from 
the  law.  A  French  adventurer  and  pirate,  who  is  an  unwel- 
come suitor  for  the  daughter,  plays  an  important  part.  En- 
counters between  the  Indians  and  the  small  colony  of  white 
men  on  shore,  and  perilous  adventures  at  sea  with  a  shipload 
of  pirates  led  by  the  French  buccaneer,  make  a  story  of 
breathless  interest. 


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